Soul Exchange
by Torenza
Summary: Complete Kagome makes a bad deal with Naraku, selling her soul to save her love, but it all goes horribly wrong and Kagome’s stuck. Naraku makes a new deal with her – seduce and kill prince Inuyasha and she will get her soul back.
1. The Deal

Disclaimer: I don't Inuyasha, but you don't need me to tell you that to know it... or do you?  
  
AN: I know I said I wouldn't be starting any new fics for a while but I just had to get this one out of my head and onto the web before someone else got the idea! Anyhow, this is just going to add onto my long list of continuing fics and probably slow me down - but if I get good responses I'll probably be more enthusiastic about updating (I'm throwing you all a massive hint here)  
  
BTW: this is kinda AU cause it doesn't follow the original story, but it IS set in feudal Japan with the same circumstances and everything - but the characters are all in different positions and situations.  
  
Also this is definitely Inu/Kag but sometimes people get worried because it starts off strange...  
  
So read - and most of all - enjoy! That's why I write these things - so people can enjoy them ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
The Deal  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The bushes scraped at her bare calves and snagged at her clothes as she pounded through the thickets. Her breath came in short gasps, half sobbing as she ran for all she was worth. At one point her sleeve caught on a bush and brought her dash to a staggering halt, but she didn't pay it much heed as she ripped her arm forward with a cry of effort and ran on, leaving part of the sleeve of her kimono behind her.  
  
She couldn't allow anything to slow her down... every precious second counted...  
  
Kagome screamed sharply as her ankle caught on a low outstretching branch across her path. Out of reflex she threw her arms out before her to catch her fall, but still landed awkwardly, grazing her hands and her chin.  
  
She swallowed another cry as she moved her ankle and pain shot up her leg. It didn't matter - all that matter was finding the old Goshinboku tree...  
  
Kagome lifted her head, about to drag herself to her feet and continue, when she stopped dead. She'd found it... she'd all but fallen to it's roots. It took her a few seconds to register where she was in relation to her village now... and came to the conclusion that she was quite some distance indeed. Her cousin's village was only around the hill from here.  
  
But she wasn't looking for her cousin's village.  
  
With a gasp she lurched to her feet and stumbled across the uneven ground to fall to her knees before the old tree and began ripping away at the earth with nothing but her hands. It would have been easier if the ground had been wet and muddy, but it hadn't rained in days, and the earth was as dry as bones, and just as hard.  
  
The dirt streaked stains across across her worn old white kimono, and covered the dark blue material of her pinafore tied at the waist. She'd lost her sandals long ago... and she sorely missed them now, but she didn't dwell too much on it.  
  
"Come on... come on..." she breathed urgently as she tried to stifle the shaky sobs that rose in her throat.  
  
The stones in the ground were cutting her hands and fingers up worse than they already were, but she couldn't find it... and she had to keep searching. Desperately she thumped the earth beside her and scrambled along the roots to another part of the ground and began to dig there, pulling the grassy stumps out of the way in order to get to softer ground beneath.  
  
She must have been at it for an hour, and she was still searching among the roots, crying freely in anguish... until her hands were so raw she couldn't dig anymore. She crouched down and pressed her forehead against her knees, angry at her failure, but mostly at herself for giving up. It was no use though... she could spend a week looking around the tree for her mother's box and by then it would be too late... in fact... that very moment she was probably too late.  
  
"Forgive me..." she whispered hoarsely into her lap, grimacing as the tears sprang up and spilled down her cheeks.  
  
"For what?"  
  
Kagome gasped as she whipped around and quickly backed herself up against the tree. She hadn't realised she had company... and she wasn't glad of it either. A man, or what sounded like a man, was sitting on a large rock behind her, swathed in an encompassing white baboon pelt. All she could see of the actual man was the smooth, young outline of his jaw beneath the face of the baboon, and his hands resting in his lap.  
  
"Who are you?" Kagome demanded shakily, though she knew she commanded no real authority.  
  
"Someone who could help you." The man responded calmly.  
  
Kagome swallowed past the lump in her throat and lifted her chin high. "With what exactly?"  
  
"Why are you crying?"  
  
Kagome's determined expression faltered and fresh tears shimmered in her eyes. "I... I..."  
  
"He'll die won't he."  
  
"H-how do you know that?" Kagome started and stared at him openly. "I didn't say anything..."  
  
"I don't need you to tell me what I already know." He said simply and stood up to walk towards her. Kagome pressed herself back against the tree further. "Tell me... how much do you love him..."  
  
"With all my heart..." Kagome's breath came in ragged gasps. "I need him... I need to find my mother's healing talisman... I need to heal him before he dies..."  
  
The baboon man said nothing.  
  
"Please... can you help me find it?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Then go away - you're creeping me out!" Kagome burst out and stood up precariously and started to edge her way around the other side of the tree. She didn't get far when her path was blocked. "Leave me be!"  
  
"I can't help you find the healer's talisman... he's already dead you know."  
  
Kagome felt something break within her and a broken choke escaped her mouth before she clapped a hand to cover it and sank down the tree to the ground. Shaking with heart broken sobs.  
  
"But I can bring him back to you... I can make it so that you can be together forever... live together... forever..."  
  
"How could you do that?" Kagome managed to get out. "What are you?"  
  
"A spirit..." he answered.  
  
Kagome tried to see more of his face from her vantage point on the ground, but shadow seemed to consume the rest of it. "How would you bring him back to life?"  
  
"It isn't hard." The stranger told her. "But there is a price to such happiness."  
  
"Let me guess... I have to give you my soul..." Kagome said bitterly.  
  
"How did you know that?" the mysterious tone disappeared from his voice in surprise. "Have we met before?"  
  
Kagome stared at him. "Oh my god... you're serious..."  
  
"Yes... well..." he drew himself up again. "Naraku doesn't go around offering such a wonderful deal to every love struck girl he sees."  
  
Kagome tried to get to her feet again, but her ankle protested with a searing pain and she sank back down with a gasp.  
  
"And as a bonus, I'll heal that for you too." He added.  
  
"Go away..."  
  
"You haven't thought this through..." The man crouched before her, so close that she could smell the musty odour of the old pelt he wore. "Kouga is dead, Kagome..."  
  
A small whimper escaped her throat.  
  
"I know... death always hurts... and it will go on hurting for a long, long time to come. Time heals all wounds... but you're pretty much a cripple until it does."  
  
Kagome dropped her head, her hair hiding her face.  
  
"Just think of the possibility, if you will." He said slowly, in a deep and trance like tone. "I can revive your lover... bring him back to you... I can make you both immortals so you can live with each other for the rest of time... you want that don't you."  
  
Kagome gave the slightest of nods.  
  
"And all you have to do is give me ownership of your soul. And what will I do with it? It's not like I can take it from your body while you live. All I can say, is that I own it... but it will still be with you."  
  
Kagome was unusually quiet.  
  
"And I'll heal your dud foot too." He hoped that would swing the deal.  
  
"What's the catch?" Kagome asked timidly.  
  
"There is none... other than you cannot legally say you own your soul..." Naraku spoke softly, close to her ear. "It will always be yours... I cannot use it... make the deal..."  
  
"I can't do that..."  
  
"Yes you can... think of Kouga..." he told her seriously. "If you do not agree then you will never see him again. You will live the rest of your life wondering about what might be if you had made this deal. He'd be alive and with you, so what more do you want?"  
  
"I..."  
  
"Make the deal... or Kouga leaves your for the underworld..."  
  
"I don't..."  
  
"Make it... I'll never offer it again..."  
  
Kagome was silent for a long time as she went over the possibilities in her head. "He and I will live forever?"  
  
"Till the end of time."  
  
"We'll be together?"  
  
"Indeed." He smiled slightly, knowing she was already his.  
  
"Then... I agree... ok..." Kagome said in a hopeless tone.  
  
Naraku stood swiftly and began to walk away.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kagome called after him, shocked at his sudden departure. Where was the deal? Where was Kouga?  
  
"Run home little girl, your lover awaits you..." Naraku disappeared into the cover of the forest, leaving Kagome by herself.  
  
Slowly she rose to her feet and looked down as her ankle stood strong and didn't scream in pain. There was a bruise... but it was mended. She looked up hurriedly to try and see the man again... but he'd long gone now. After that Kagome wasted no time and ran for all she was worth back home. Not caring about her torn clothing this time because she didn't dare waste a precious second without Kouga...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Lady Inu sat in her throne, trying to block out the voices of her advisors. They were all talking at once in rather fast speeches and she hadn't caught a single word of what they were crying at her. She just gazed demurely at her folded hands in her lap and hoped they would be done soon and just leave her alone.  
  
"The Wolf clans on the mainland are poised to attack - the sentries say they keep seeing scouts on the shores of the island."  
  
"Has anyone caught a wolf yet?" Lady Inu asked.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then they're probably just seeing things again." She said simply.  
  
Another advisor jumped in with another threat. "But his late lordship's eldest son is all but converging on the border this minute! He's got an entire army at his command - he wants the throne now that his father has passed on."  
  
"He won't DARE step foot on these lands while Inuyasha is here." Lady Inu snapped in a rather motherly command. "If he knows what's best for him he will be happy with what land he has."  
  
"Sesshomaru demands the Southern Kingdom - he claims that he is the heir!" the advisor gushed on. "If we don't surrender the land he will take it by force and join it with his Northern Kingdom."  
  
"And like I said - Inuyasha is the heir - Sesshomaru cannot take what does not belong to him." Lady Inu said evenly.  
  
"But we keep telling you, my lady..." the advisor bowed humbly. "If Lord Inuyasha does not take the throne then he has no claim to the Kingdom."  
  
"Hm." Was all she said. "What else should be brought to my attention?"  
  
The advisors looked nervously to one another. "Um... the young Lord Inuyasha..."  
  
She sighed deeply. "What's the matter with him now?"  
  
"He discovered your attempts to marry him off to Lady Mitako..."  
  
Lady Inu dropped her head in dread. "And?"  
  
"Sufficed to say... he's not feeling especially delighted towards you."  
  
As the advisor said this, a loud rumbling boom sounded deep within the palace, shaking the drapes and rattling the ornaments on the mantels. Lady Inu didn't react as the throne beneath her vibrated slightly. When it had faded she shook her head. "He needs to learn how to control his temper..."  
  
"Forgive us... but he has been this way since his lordship's departure..." the advisor speaking to her bowed again, though he looked very eager to run away.  
  
A loud smash sounded even closer now, a sound that made the advisors jumped and glance uneasily at the large double doors of the throne room. Lady Inu darted a glance between them all before sighing. "You can go if you wish... I'd take the back entrance if you value your lives..."  
  
"Will you be alright, milady?" one of the advisors paused hesitantly while the other three scampered off gratefully.  
  
"Best leave now or forever suffer his wrath." She warned lightly, making him bolt for the smaller door behind a drape against one of the walls behind her.  
  
Lady Inu waited patiently a few moments, inspecting her fingernails and picking at something in her teeth. She wasn't kept waiting long, as a few moments later both large, incredibly heavy oak doors burst open with the force an ogre might express, but through the doors stomped a much smaller, but no less livid, little hanyou.  
  
"Ma!"  
  
"Hello, Inuyasha!" she called cheerfully, giving him one of her brightest smiles. "How are you feeling today? Ready to take the throne, I hope."  
  
"Not today." He stopped a few metres below her throne, and from here she could see him clenching his jaw and fists in a massive effort to keep from blowing up. Well... at least he was making an effort this morning.  
  
"Goodness... whatever is the matter? You look like you've just eaten Sango's spice surprise?" Sango was Lady Inu's Lady in Waiting - mostly because she was the only other human woman on the island. She was also widely known for he infamous use of spice in her cooking...  
  
"I don't believe you... YOU have just sunk to a fucking new low- just when I thought you couldn't sink much lower than the mud!" Inuyasha hissed rather venomously.  
  
Lady Inu's light smile was gone in a flash. "I hope you don't kiss Miss Mitako with that mouth." She said with a slight smirk, intending him to catch the mocking tone in her voice.  
  
At that Inuyasha's rather limited control snapped and he kicked the antique table beside him, shattering it soundly. Lady Inu looked on with pursed lips, silently glad that she didn't keep the really expensive furniture in the throne room. "You planned to marry me off to that snobby nosed little cow from the mainland!"  
  
"I thought she had a rather nice nose..."  
  
"And you DIDN'T bother to TELL ME!" he roared, looking around for another table to smash so he couldn't direct his violence on his mother.  
  
She just watched him stomp off to the side to kick in a large ornate pot that had been made in the thirteenth century. She winced slightly before reminding herself not to get angry. Getting angry just seemed to feed her son more anger, and that wasn't what he needed.  
  
"Inuyasha... it's been six months..." she said in a patient tone as she glared stonily at the tiled floor before her. "Your father has not returned, nor shall he ever return. The throne is up for grabs, and if you don't claim it then your brother will."  
  
"He can't! Because Pa is still alive - you can't steal the throne from the King when he still owns it!"  
  
Lady Inu clenched her fists. "When are you going to get it into your thick skull that your father is DEAD!" her immaculate control snapped too. "I don't believe you! Six months! We haven't received any word that might indicate that he is alive! The only thing we have received in his absence is his crown and his sword... Tessaiga..."  
  
Both she and Inuyasha knew very well that Inuyasha's father didn't go anywhere without his precious sword carved from his own fang.  
  
"That doesn't mean anything... he might have just dropped it..." Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.  
  
"And his crown too?" Inuyasha's mother slid from her throne and stepped shortly down the steps, stopping before she reached the bottom two so she could still look down on her son, since she was distinctly shorter than he was now. "Maybe he did drop them... but then why hasn't he sent us a note? A message? Some sign that he is alive?"  
  
"No one's found his body - he could still be out there!" Inuyasha snapped, stomping back over to her to face her.  
  
"In a ditch!" she yelled back, as proud as ever, but a small glistening or water in the corner of her eye gave her away. Inuyasha saw it at once, and sobered quickly, he hated making his mother cry... he just felt like an evil monster when he did that.  
  
Lady Inu dashed away the lone tear at once and glared angrily at her son. "The throne is yours... take it... if you don't it will be taken by Sesshomaru by force of war. Do you want to be responsible for hundreds of lives of the Inu Youkai in this kingdom?"  
  
Inuyasha looked away.  
  
His mother set her jaw and steppe down the last two steps from her throne and grabbed his ear to pull his head back around. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!"  
  
It hurt like hell, but he wasn't going to give her the satisfaction of screaming like a little baby. She continued anyway. "Take the throne and the people will be loyal to you!"  
  
"They won't follow me - I'm a Hanyou!"  
  
"Is this what it is about?" she released his ear which he rubbed quickly. "Are you scared of taking the throne because they might not accept you?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"That is not a valid concern! They loved your father - they love you to!" his mother said hotly. "Don't abandon them all now!"  
  
Inuyasha just glared back at her. "Pa is not dead... he'll be back... you'll see..." he turned and began to stalk out of the throne room.  
  
"Six more months, Inuyasha!" she yelled after him. "Sesshomaru won't wait any more than that! You MUST take the throne by then and master Tessaiga for our protection."  
  
"Six months and I'll find Pa!" Inuyasha yelled tersely over his shoulder. "I'm leaving now - I'll find him myself!"  
  
Lady Inu's blood ran cold and she took a few steps after him. "No... No! If Sesshomaru learns of your absence he will attack at once! He only fears you and the sword! Leave now and he'd be merciless to the rest of us!"  
  
"Then don't let him find out!" Inuyasha turned as he reached the doors and clenched a fist at her. "YOU may have given up on dad - but I haven't! I'll bring him back and then the Kingdom will be safe again! And then I WON'T have to be forced into these stupid marriages!"  
  
He whirled and was gone from sight in an eye blink. Lady Inu released a shaky breath and slumped to her knees. These arguments with her son were taking their toll on her... he was a man now... not a little boy protesting about bath time... He was stronger than she was... maybe verging on stronger than his own father... but he didn't know it. And it was growing harder and harder to keep it that way... she didn't want to lose a fight to him, that would be too dangerous.  
  
But it was heading that way. He was disobeying her, cancelling the marriages she arranged for the Kingdom's benefit, and running away at times when his people needed him most. She was losing control because he was growing up... and he was clinging to the ridiculous belief that his father was still alive...  
  
She needed help. There was only so much she could manage on her own. A Kingdom she could handle. But playing single parent to Inuyasha was a whole different kettle of fish...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Wow - there's the first chapter done. Right, I don't want Kouga to stay with Kagome... so they'll be broken up next chapter ^_^ Plus, Inuyasha and Kagome will meet too. Watch this space... 


	2. My Hero

AN: I have to go and watch this movie Hercules now and see what everyone's on about. I hope the plots aren't too similar...  
  
Anyway, I finally got round to writing a new chapter... so... uh... what else...?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
My Hero  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The Shikon no Tama.  
  
Probably the most sought after object in all the realms and countries. Demons wanted it for its power... and humans wanted it for pretty much the same thing.  
  
But somehow it had ended up with Kikyo... who had been set the laborious task of protecting it and hiding it from men and demons who wanted its power for less respectable things. She was also trying to destroy it through purification...  
  
That had been years ago. And now Kikyo was long dead and buried... and the location of the Shikon had also died with her. That was the best way to keep it safe... but Kagome needed it.  
  
How many villages had her cousin been too while she'd been nurturing the jewel? Too bloody many... Kikyo liked to get around a lot. And how many places had she passed along the way... places where she could have discreetly hidden the little bead and covered its aura to make it invisible to demons?  
  
Kagome groaned as she dropped to her feet beside the base of a young tree. She felt tired, dirty and she needed a bath more than the Shikon right then. The last village back the way she had come had been less than helpful. When she'd asked if they'd known anything about a Shikon jewel they had rather rudely rebuked her and all but thrown her out of the village.  
  
Well at least it had been a pleasanter send off than her own home village had given her. They apparently didn't like demon, human pairings either. Kouga had left... and now Kagome was stuck with a deal she couldn't back out of.  
  
"I'm such an idiot..." she whispered into her hands.  
  
"I whole-heartedly agree, Baby."  
  
He didn't call her that because he was lewd... he just called her by that nickname to demonstrate how naïve and innocent she was. The perfect reminder of her greatest mistake.  
  
"Go away..." Kagome whispered forcefully, even though her insides froze up with fear.  
  
"What are you doing so far away from home?" Naraku pretended to look around. "What could you be up too... hm? Little Kagome... out in the middle of the woods... all alone... no friends... no family... no love..."  
  
"Go away!" Kagome screamed and seized a fallen branch beside her to swipe it at Naraku. What should have happened in her head was that Naraku would be felled by the blow and curl up and die on the ground... but instead the branch just passed right through him like he was just air. Kagome staggered slightly as the blow failed to hit anything and dropped the branch at once.  
  
Naraku shook his head tutted. "You should know better than to try and hurt me, Baby."  
  
"Leave me alone..." Kagome sank back down the tree and closed her eyes, hoping that if she couldn't see him he would just go away.  
  
"But you're so much fun to play with." Naraku walked a few paces away from her and looked back down the dirt road she'd been travelling along. "This is interesting... looks like you are almost literally trying to follow in Kikyo's footsteps."  
  
Kagome said nothing, though her face was heating up with anger and a mixture of fear.  
  
"What could be the reason for that I wonder?" Naraku looked back at her. "Could it be that you intend to find the Shikon no Tama and then try and use it against me... or better yet... use it to hide from me?"  
  
Kagome snapped her eyes up to him in shock. Could he really read her mind after all.  
  
"I better tell you now that there is no point trying to use such a ploy. I can find you no matter where you go... you can run but you can't hide. You know that, right?"  
  
Kagome stared at him sullenly for a moment before smiling weakly. "Thank you... at least now I know that I really CAN use the Shikon... because everything you spin out is a lie."  
  
Naraku stiffened and glared down at her. "You're a fool."  
  
"Well who just gave the game away?" Kagome shot back.  
  
"Well who just gave the soul away?" he countered.  
  
At once Kagome snapped and shot to her feet. "You tricked me! I believed you would help me! But you've caused me nothing but grief! I hate you."  
  
"Strong words for such a small girl."  
  
"Shut up!" Kagome threw a rock at him, even though she knew it would just pass right through him and hit the tree behind him. "You said we would be together forever! You lied! You broke the deal! I want my soul back!"  
  
"Deals do not take into account petty human emotions." Naraku replied evenly. "I said that you 'could' be together forever. I gave you everything you wanted. I gave you immortal life... I brought him back to life for you... it isn't my fault that you squandered your chance - oh! AND I healed your ankle."  
  
"But he left me!" Kagome yelled hoarsely and began to deteriorate fast into tears. "He said he would be with me forever... and then he left me..."  
  
Naraku cocked his head and tutted with sympathy. "Poor child... aren't yet equipped to dealing with the brutalities of the real world."  
  
"I'm dealing with you aren't I?"  
  
"Nice try Kagome." Naraku folded his arms. "Obviously Kouga is a young man who... who... values his own existence above all others. Including that of his love."  
  
Kagome sniffed quietly.  
  
"What was it again? Another wolf demon who caught his eye?" Naraku smirked. "A little older than you maybe?"  
  
Kagome scoffed and shook her head. "I wish... but he finds the prospect of war more attractive than staying with me."  
  
"Ah... a man of action..." Naraku's smirk widened. "He left you to fight a war with the Inu Youkai I believe... how... interesting..."  
  
"He said 'thanks for the second chance, Kag, but I gotta go fight the dogs or war - see you round in the next life!'!" Kagome sniffed. "Asshole..."  
  
"Is that what he said?"  
  
"Majorly edited though..." Kagome wiped at her eyes. "But in a nutshell... yeah..."  
  
"I'd love to stay here and chat all day and give you my condolences... but I am a busy spirit... I have business to attend to." Naraku started walking away. "You can carry on along your journey Kagome... but be warned... you can't escape me - you belong to me."  
  
Kagome waved.  
  
"And next time you wave use more than one finger please." He told her.  
  
So she used two instead.  
  
"Oh... and wait up for me - because I have a few things I want you to do for me."  
  
"I'm not your advocate!"  
  
"You are." He said before he disappeared into the trees like mist.  
  
Kagome shivered and held herself tighter. She needed to find that Shikon jewel before Naraku met up with her again. If she got her hands on that bead then she could hide forever... she would still be owned by him... but at least she would be like a wild cat with a collar.  
  
And as long as she didn't die... she would never have to see Naraku again, or go to hell. Naraku had been such a moron for giving her immortal life...  
  
But then again she'd been such a fool for taking it...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Demon! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!"  
  
"Yeah... that's it... run little sheep..." Inuyasha yawned tiredly as the villagers travelling towards him down the road suddenly took off into the woods on either side... leaving everything behind them.  
  
Inuyasha's ears suddenly perked up as he fixed his gaze on the wary looking horse that had been abandoned rather suddenly. It didn't look like a particularly fast horse... but a nice big strong one.  
  
"Oh yes..." Inuyasha chuckled to himself as he cracked his knuckles and started forward.  
  
The big animal fidgeted nervously and started to edge backwards... obviously not being any more fond of demons than its former masters were. It was discreetly looking around for an escape route.  
  
"Oh no you don't!" Inuyasha ran after it as it broke into a short gallop. "Hey - I'm a prince! How can you expect me to walk in the mud all day!"  
  
The horse's answer was the speed up even more...  
  
It was going to be one of those days...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"It was only a question!" Kagome yelled angrily as she was shoved out of the inn roughly by the burly attendant. He snorted with disgust at her and slammed the door shut.  
  
Kagome looked around angrily and noticed that people who had been staring, quickly diverted their gazes elsewhere and seemed to be keeping their distance.  
  
She ran a hand through her grubby hair and grimaced. She really needed some place to get clean... but all the inns wouldn't take her in. Either because she had no money, or more likely because he reputation had already proceeded her. Kagome's family were merciless when it came to disowning daughters...  
  
"I should have let them kill Kouga..." she mumbled to herself as she dragged her feet through the village... hoping that by the time she came to the next village she wouldn't be recognised as that 'traitor'.  
  
She was willing to give up her family if it had come to that. As long as she had Kouga she wouldn't have been too bothered... but fate had an odd way of twisting things so that they never turn out just the way you really want them. Or more like Naraku liked to twist things around.  
  
'But why did he want me in particular...?' Kagome asked herself as she left the busy little town behind her and moved down the beat down road into the night that would lead to the next.  
  
After all, what was so special about Kagome, other than her abnormal taste in men? Kikyo was the one that everyone wanted - she was the one with the Miko powers and the Shikon. Kagome just had an unfortunate run in with a gang of wolf demons... and ended up engaged to their boss.  
  
There was a muffled sound of conversation and a snap of twigs as someone, or someones moved through the foliage to her side. She stopped short and listened as the conversation and movement came nearer... and she realised it was a group of young men.  
  
It wasn't good to be caught out in the middle of nowhere... and looking back, she saw that the village was a little too far out of her way now to make a run for it. It was best to just keep walking and see if she could go unnoticed.  
  
She could feel her heart thudding against her rib cage... which dramatically increased in tempo when the men finally emerged from the trees and bushes onto the road. She heard their conversation stop behind her and she knew they were looking at her.  
  
She tried not to speed up, trip over, or slow down. She didn't want to do anything that might betray her... but in the past she'd always had Kouga to defend her honour... now she had only herself and Naraku... and a fat lot of use he was.  
  
Soft laughter sounded behind her and she heard the sound of footsteps... coming after her. Kagome swallowed hard and sped up a little, still trying to be discreet. She heard them speed up as well... and realised it wasn't just a coincidence they were going the same way as her, so she broke out into a full-out run.  
  
They came pounding after her, and Kagome spared only a small look over her shoulder before gasping and pushing herself to run faster. There were five of them... she was severely outnumbered... and petrified.  
  
They were closing in on her and at the last moment she threw herself to the side and into the bushes. But she'd underestimated the ground... and soon found herself tumbling down a steep slope to a sea of ferns below her. She just had to bear with it until it was over.  
  
Kagome dropped sharply into the soft ferns and lay there for a moment, winded and unable to move... but as soon as she heard the sounds of shouts and movement above her, she realised she still wasn't safe. As quickly as she could, she scrambled through the thick ferns, trying to use them as cover to make her escape... but she was too slow, and it wasn't long before the five men appeared at the top of the slope looking down on the ferns. Kagome dropped down to the ground at once and stayed as still as she could, praying that she wasn't visible at all.  
  
Apparently she wasn't, since one of the young men pointed around to the other four, and they all split up to search for her.  
  
Kagome let out an anguished sigh... she would be found and cornered at this rate... but maybe if she kept still they wouldn't find her. She started as the sound of thrashing ferns sounded ahead of her and she peered through the thick green plants to see that one of the men was slashing at the ferns with a sickle blade. Kagome blanched, and squirmed as thrashing ferns started behind her as well. They were advancing towards her... and if she didn't move then she would be sliced as well.  
  
Kicking herself mentally for her next move, she bit her lip and jumped up, breaking into a fast run in the one direction that was free of blade or man.  
  
"Get her!" she heard one of them shout and sped up.  
  
But things just weren't going her way today, and as she shot into the trees, a large twisted root appeared from no where, and brought her panicked flee to a crashing halt. She fell with a thud and grazed her chin all over again... just when it had healed from the last time she'd done that.  
  
She'd barely recovered her sense when a boot clad foot shoved her in the side, effectively rolling her onto her back.  
  
"Told ya she was a pretty one."  
  
"Under that grime maybe..."  
  
"She'd fetch a pretty penny at the Brothel..."  
  
Kagome blinked her eyes, trying to focus on the faces above her, trying to comprehend what they were saying about her. "Kouga..."  
  
"She doesn't look that experienced though."  
  
"Maybe we should give her some..."  
  
There was a smug pause as Kagome brought a hand to her brow.  
  
"Turn her over." Was the abrupt order.  
  
Kagome felt rough hands seize her arms and panic shot through her. "Get off! No - let me go!" they weren't going to obey her. "Help! Somebody! Kouga! Help me! KOUGA!"  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Well it was no Royal stallion... but it would do. The warlord he was looking for lived quite far into the mainland, and he didn't plan to walk all the way. The warlord was the last person who had seen his father... chances were he knew something about where the older lord was now... dead or alive.  
  
Inuyasha was certain he was alive...  
  
He wasn't exactly in any rush now because night had fallen and it was the new moon. He wasn't going to be breaking down doors into palaces until morning... so he and he 'noble' steed could take it easy.  
  
Well, at least the horse seemed calmer with a completely human rider now. Inuyasha stifled a yawn with one hand whilst holding the reins loosely in the other. One thing about being human was that he got knackered very easily... three days of non-stop travel were finally getting to him.  
  
The breeze picked up along the road, blowing his dark hair into his face... much to his annoyance. And he dropped the reins all together to momentarily concentrated on pushing it back into a knot at the back of his head.  
  
Just as he was finished he heard a feminine scream pierce through the night. It had sounded very close... and his ride stopped short and shifted nervously.  
  
"Keep going." Inuyasha sighed, coaxing the animal to move with the heels of his feet. It took two steps forward before stopping again.  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and looked around. "It's probably a big bear or something... just keep moving!"  
  
The horse didn't move, and they both looked off to the side as another scream and shout sounded. "Get off me! No - let me go!" it was definitely female.  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes and shook his head, urging the horse to move on. "Move it. It's none of our business."  
  
The horse refused to budge.  
  
But Inuyasha wasn't budging either. He refused to let himself get side- tracked from his current mission. Peasant girls didn't really matter to him.  
  
"Help! Somebody!"  
  
Inuyasha clicked his tongue impatiently.  
  
"Kouga! Help me! KOUGA!"  
  
Inuyasha jerked his head around. Whoever it was knew Kouga... whoever it was was bound to have information of the asshole. Without hesitation (finally) Inuyasha swung out of the saddle and raised a stern finger at the gelding. "Don't let anyone steal you, got that?"  
  
Carefully he picked his way down the steeps slope and looked around for the disturbance. He spotted it across a patch of ferns... five boys crouched around... around Kikyo.  
  
"Kikyo..." he breathed, taken by surprise. For a moment he thought she was alive again... until he realised that that was a stupid notion. He'd SEEN her die. Well... whoever it was knew Kouga AND looked like Kikyo. A spooky set of coincidences? Inuyasha didn't believe that...  
  
"No please..." the girl was crying now. "Please let me go..."  
  
"Not until we take what we want." Was her answer.  
  
Inuyasha carefully trod through the ferns, keeping as quiet as possible.  
  
"Let - me - GO!" the girl bucked hard and caught one of the men in the family jewels with her knee.  
  
The guy gasped and toppled over... but the other four remained unharmed and angered. "You'll pay for that bitch!"  
  
The girl yelped as she received a hard slap to the face before being crushed to the ground on her stomach. By then Inuyasha had seen enough. He came up behind two of the men and soundly clapped their heads together. They collapsed at once... and the other three only needed to look at him to take the hint and send it packing.  
  
They might have been able to take Inuyasha, since he was human after all... but they knew when the game was up.  
  
"Get up." Inuyasha said flatly.  
  
For a moment Kagome didn't dare move. She had barely even registered the fact that she had been saved. By who? She turned slowly and focused dizzy eyes on her hero... "Kouga...?"  
  
Inuyasha's lip curled angrily and he bent at once to grab the poor girl by the neck and haul her up off the ground, backing her into a tree. She gasped and spluttered, clawing at his hand to break free. Something told Kagome that she hadn't been saved after all.  
  
"On the count of three you will tell me everything you know about Kouga. And on the count of five you will tell me why you have stolen Kikyo's face. And on the count of ten I'll decide if I should kill you or not." Inuyasha hissed, tightening his grip somewhat.  
  
Kagome grimaced and struggled with all of her remaining strength... which was to say very little. For once she wished that Naraku would show up soon...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Boo Inuyasha! Anyway - next chapter should be up soon ^_^ I've already made a start on it for a change... 


	3. New Deal

AN: Christmas in NINE DAYS! Ah - and if anyone's read the translations - it's so cute!!!! Miroku proposed to Sango and she said YES! Very emphatically I might add. until that moron had to go ruin it. But she was well on her way to agreeing to twenty odd kids.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
New Deal  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"One... two... three..."  
  
"Kouga's an asshole!"  
  
"Four... Five..."  
  
"Kikyo's my cousin!!"  
  
"Six... seven... eight... man, I'm bored." Inuyasha pulled a face. "Can't be bothered counting all the way - might as well just kill you now."  
  
"No - wait!" Kagome struggled to find some leverage for her feet. Her throat was killing her now. "How do you know Kouga and Kikyo?!"  
  
"I asked first!" he hissed.  
  
"Yeah, well I answered - now you answer me..." she gasped.  
  
Inuyasha stared at her a moment before releasing her with a disgusted expression. "I fear if I hang around you much more your effervescent dirtiness might just rub off on me."  
  
"My what?"  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "Peasant..."  
  
He turned to walk away, before finding his way blocked by the girl. He raised an eyebrow at her... seeing as that was an awfully quick movement for someone who had just been knocked about pretty badly.  
  
"Wait - tell me how you know Kouga." She asked quickly. "How come-"  
  
"Would you just get out of my line of sight - I think I feel nauseous." He gave her a push that sent her staggering to the side.  
  
A dark expression crossed her face and she ran to block him again. He glared at her. "What? You want money? Fuck off!"  
  
Kagome remained undeterred and glared at him shrewdly. "You burst in here like you own the place and dangle me against a tree, demanding to know what I know about Kouga and Kikyo - and then you just leave without saying anything? I haven't even told you what I know yet!"  
  
"You want to tell me what you know?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Then get out of my way - I don't have time for this crap!" Inuyasha looked up at the sky... which was slowly turning a lighter shade of dark blue than before, meaning the sun was bound to rise soon.  
  
"Not until you tell me why you want to know about those two!" Kagome stood firm, refusing to let him pass.  
  
He gave her another shove, but this time she shoved back, just as hard, making him stagger ever so slightly. He stared at her in surprise before getting angry. "Bitch!" He lunged at her, intending to shove her to the ground completely.  
  
Surprisingly, she evaded him and punched him in the stomach. It didn't really hurt... it just surprised him. He could see that she was making to run away again, and quickly swept his foot out and knocked her off her feet. She yelped as she fell forward and landed on her outstretched hands. He came up behind her, feeling no more inhibitions about killing her.  
  
She surprised him again by the sheer nerve to strike out with her own foot and kick him in the shin. He gasped in pain lifted his leg to rub the offended limb. She saw her chance and tackled him straight to the floor, pinning him down. "You want dirt?! I'll give you dirt!"  
  
She gouged a fist full of dirt from the ground beside his head and smeared it over his face and shoved a great deal of it into his mouth. He threw her off, hearing her squeak in shock as he did so, and began coughing. "EW! You put a worm in my mouth!"  
  
"Well you already have one in your personality so what's the difference?!" she snapped back, wiping at a small trickle of blood from a cut on her cheek. "Who are you anyways?! You ain't a samurai, and you aren't a farmer either - are you a warlord's son?"  
  
"I'll kill you for this!" He lunged at her again, wrapping his hands around her throat and deliberately trying to suffocate her.  
  
Kagome coughed and wheezed and reached out for something to help her. Her hand landed on a rock, which she grabbed firmly and smashed it against his brow. He winced before knocking her hand down and pinning it there while his other hand kept a grip on her throat.  
  
"Get... off... me... pig!" she found her leverage in her legs, and pulled her favourite stunt... a knee right in the crotch.  
  
He gasped and rolled off her... in obvious agony. Kagome rubbed her throat for a moment before scrambling to her feet and kicking his side with her bare foot. "Serves you right! THIS is why I hate human men! They're all the same!"  
  
"Bitch..." he grunted in pain, trying to force himself up.  
  
Kagome looked up at the whinny of a horse and took off towards the slope leading to the road.  
  
"No you don't!" Inuyasha tried to give chase... but he wasn't going anywhere fast.  
  
Kagome took advantage of her head start and scrambled hurriedly up the slope, using anything and everything to help her drag her way up to the road. When she finally reached it she looked up and saw the knight-in- shining-armour's horse. She smiled and walked up to it with open hands. "Hello... any chance I can hitch a ride?"  
  
"Don't you dare let her on!" Inuyasha yelled as he reached the road, only to find that the horse had already let Kagome sit in the saddle. "Bitch - get down for there!"  
  
He started forward, but when he neared the animal it reared and fended him off. Inuyasha dodged back quickly before he got clobbered and glared at the horse. "Traitor!"  
  
"Nicely trained ride you got here." Kagome patted the gelding's neck affectionately. "Now if you don't mind we'll be on our way now."  
  
She urged the horse on which immediately obeyed and started forward. Inuyasha clenched his fists and stepped in her way, to block her route.  
  
"Get out the way or get flattened!" Kagome called to him.  
  
"Get off my horse or I'll flatten you!"  
  
"We'll see who gets flattened first!" Kagome urged the horse to move faster, bearing down on him.  
  
Seconds before it impacted with Inuyasha it slowed to a halt and both people glared at it and said at the same time "Chicken."  
  
Before Kagome could make any more moves, rough hands grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off the saddle. "Hey!"  
  
"Now beat it - I said I don't have time to waste and I meant it!" He gave her a forceful shove to the side and swung himself back up into the saddle. "If I see you again you'll be dead before you can recognise me."  
  
Kagome glared at him angrily. "I suppose I should thank you for saving my life."  
  
"A better way to thank me would be to GET LOST!" he spurred his ride forward, but Kagome walked fast to keep up.  
  
"How come you know Kouga?" she demanded. "Do you know where he is?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed angrily. If she didn't know where Kouga was then she was of no use to him after all. He needed to know where Kouga was NOW so he could ring that wimpy wolf's neck.  
  
"Go away, girl."  
  
"How do you know Kikyo?"  
  
"How do you know her?" Inuyasha countered, trying to speed up and lose her, but the horse was having none of it.  
  
"She's my cousin, I told you." Kagome frowned. "How do you know her? Do you know what happened to her?"  
  
Inuyasha's hand clenched around the reins a moment before forcing himself to relax. "No."  
  
Kagome watched him suspiciously. "You're lying. I can tell. You know how she died - tell me!"  
  
"No!" Inuyasha growled angrily, casting a quick eye skyward again. "Can't you take a hint! Just piss off and leave me alone!"  
  
Kagome bit her lip before running forward to stand in the horse's path, bringing it to a halt. Inuyasha discreetly tried to get it moving to just trample over her. She fixed him with a hard glare. "How do you know my cousin?"  
  
"The same way everyone else in the fucking world seems to know her." Inuyasha snapped. "Who hasn't met Kikyo?"  
  
"Me..." Kagome said quietly. "Do you know what happened to the Shikon she was carrying?"  
  
"Don't know, don't care..." it was starting to get light over the horizon... the sun would rise soon... "Get out of my way, wench!"  
  
"Who are you!"  
  
"An elephant - now move it!"  
  
"What's your name?!"  
  
"Krampus!" Inuyasha jerked the reins, making the horse walk around her. "Would you just go jump off a cliff and save everyone the trouble of doing it for you?!"  
  
"But-"  
  
"This is the trouble you get for trying to help people - you just get delayed!" he grabbed the horses ear. "You hear that?! DELAYED!"  
  
The horse reared slightly, trying to dislodge him.  
  
"You have to be a lord of some kind." Kagome commented sceptically as she followed him along the road.  
  
"Uh huh..." Inuyasha said flatly.  
  
"I mean... you've obviously dressed down to hide it - but your clothes are new and immaculate... you can't be a real merchant like you're pretending to be."  
  
Inuyasha bit his tongue, trying very hard not to lose his temper again. It would just mean getting distracted again from his task at hand.  
  
"You don't talk like a lord... but maybe you're just an obnoxiously rich, self-centred, asshole like the rest of them." She said casually.  
  
"Just like Kouga then." He replied evenly.  
  
Kagome's eyebrow twitched. "Hey - you don't know him! How would you know what he's like! You just ASSUMED that! Well don't go assuming things that aren't true! Kouga is actually a very nice guy..." she trailed off as realisation hit her and she clapped a hand over her mouth.  
  
Inuyasha pulled the horse to a short halt and smirked slowly. Without much effort he leaned down the side of the saddle and looked her dead in the eye. "You must love him very much, Baby."  
  
Kagome's shock disappeared in flash, and there was a loud smack as the flat of her palm connected with his cheek.  
  
"Ow..." Inuyasha said without much expression before sitting back upright and kicked the horse in the flanks. "We're going."  
  
"No - wait!" she hurried after him, determined not to let him get away. "I'm sorry - don't run away!"  
  
Inuyasha stopped again and glared at her, his red cheek very noticeable. "I am NOT running away! I'm leaving because I am busy - I have to be in Inaki country by morning."  
  
"Inaki?" Kagome perked up. "Are you going to see the warlord there?"  
  
"What of it?"  
  
"Take me with you."  
  
"No." Inuyasha responded bluntly.  
  
"Just drop me off in one of the towns then!" Kagome pleaded.  
  
"No!"  
  
"Please?!"  
  
"You can walk there - what's wrong with your legs?!"  
  
"Nothing wrong with my legs..." she answered. She couldn't tell him her problem straight off. Only that she didn't want to run into Naraku... and so far Naraku only appeared to her when she was alone...  
  
As long as she wasn't alone she was safe. "Please... just take me as far as the first village and I won't bother you anymore... I don't want to be out here in the woods... especially after what just happened..."  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, debating on what to do. The devil side of his conscience probably wanted him to leave her to rot... and the angel side totally agreed. But common sense told him that if he refused her she would just keep following him and drive him insane... and with such a wretched horse, he was never going to outrun her.  
  
He gave a resigned sigh before nodding once. "Fine... but don't speak, or move, or scream... and you have to get off before sunrise."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes. "Whatever..."  
  
They stood silently for a moment until Kagome shifted impatiently. "Well aren't you going to let me on?"  
  
Inuyasha glowered before giving her a hand. Kagome took it and was about to get on behind him when he stopped her. "I don't trust you to sit behind me, you might stab me."  
  
"A wee bit paranoid are we?"  
  
"Did Kouga tell you that?!" he glared.  
  
Kagome sighed. "Do you want me to sit up front?"  
  
After a moment he nodded and released the reins to lift her by the waist to seat her just in front of him, her legs dangling off one side. Kagome shifted slightly to give him enough room to put his arms around her to hold the reins.  
  
"I'm Kagome, by the way." She told him suddenly as they set off.  
  
"I don't care."  
  
"What are you called?"  
  
"Your highness."  
  
Kagome laughed slightly. "Good one." She didn't mind if he didn't want to tell her. After all... he obviously didn't like her (proven by the fact that he had tried to kill her) and they'd only just met after all.  
  
After a while Kagome began unconsciously leaning back against him. She was only aware of it when Inuyasha gave her a sharp shove. "I'm not a post, sit up on your own."  
  
She sat up quickly and wished that someone more noble could have picked her up. But as long as Naraku wouldn't be dropping by she would be fine.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It was beginning to reach the crack of dawn when they arrived in the first village in the Inaki country. Kagome yawned and stretched in her position and turned to look at Inuyasha. "I'll just be on my way then - ah!"  
  
He gave her a sharp shove out of the saddle that sent her sprawling on the ground beside the horse. She gasped and looked up at him in time to see him toss two silver coins down into the dirt beside her.  
  
"There. Go get yourself a bath of something... you might wanna burn those clothes and get some new ones." Inuyasha wrinkled his nose. "I know I'll burn mine."  
  
"Two Mon...?" Kagome asked picking up the coins with awe. "You're giving me two whole Mon?"  
  
Inuyasha frowned at her. "Don't get thrills now." He urged the gelding on along the road through the town, heading towards the warlords palace that could be seen amidst the trees on the slop of the mountain just ahead of the town. Kagome watched him go.  
  
"And remember - if I see your face, or hear the name Kagome, I won't be so lenient in killing you." He said rather coldly.  
  
Kagome smiled placidly until he was a good distance away, before pulling her hand out from behind her back and swinging Inuyasha's money pouch between her fingers. "What a guy..." she chuckled and checked how much money he'd been carrying.  
  
She gaped upon finding money that would probably last her until her old age. She looked up again quickly at the departing Inuyasha and shook her head in disbelief... "That's no merchant..."  
  
With all this money she could practically buy her way into a noble title... she could become a lady if she put her mind to it... but first things were first... and she needed to find some place to wash.  
  
There was a stream running down from the mountains... it would be fresh and cold around this time in the morning, so she headed in towards it with great vigour. When she reached the bank she sighed happily and breathed in the fresh humid air around the water. She couldn't wait to take a dip...  
  
But of course... she was alone... and when she was alone... something always happened so that she wasn't alone anymore.  
  
"Boo."  
  
"Crap!" Kagome screamed as she threw her kimono up to cover her chest as she spun around to face Naraku. "Go away! I'm taking a bath!"  
  
"Don't worry, I can barely see you under all that grime." He sniffed.  
  
"I'm surprised you can see anything through that baboon face." Kagome commented, holding her kimono tightly against her.  
  
"Let's cut to the problem at hand." Naraku sat down promptly on a rock beside the stream. "Who was that man you were riding with?"  
  
"Um..." Kagome struggled to remember his name, before remembering that he hadn't given it. "Krampus?"  
  
Naraku seemed to regard her in silence for a moment. "Are you sure?"  
  
"He didn't tell me his real name..." Kagome frowned slightly, shifting uncomfortably.  
  
Naraku paused for a beat before chuckling softly and standing up to walk towards her. Kagome didn't know why she recoiled backwards... since he couldn't really do her any harm. "I have a deal to make with you Kagome."  
  
"Oh no..." Kagome leaned away. "I'm not stupid enough to agree this time, Naraku."  
  
"Actually this may be in your best interests." Naraku raised his chin. "You do this for me and I will give you your soul back..."  
  
His words caught Kagome's attention... and she stared at him in silence for a moment before narrowing her eyes. "What's the catch?"  
  
"Whether you can handle your conscience afterwards,"  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kagome frowned deeper.  
  
"There is Prince who lives in the Southern kingdom of an island off the coast..." Naraku said slowly so that she understood every word. "His name is Inuyasha."  
  
"So?"  
  
"I want you to find him... I want you to work your way under his skin... and I want you to gain his trust completely... I know you can do it, you really are a very charming girl." He smirked.  
  
"And then what?"  
  
"I want you to kill him."  
  
Kagome laughed and quickly stood up so her back was to Naraku and stumbled a few steps away. "That's ridiculous... even I'm not evil enough to trade my life for another. I am NOT killing anyone!"  
  
"You haven't heard the details yet." Naraku told her.  
  
"I don't care - I'm not doing it!" she would depend on finding the Shikon. There was no way she would ever take human life.  
  
"He's an Inu Youkai."  
  
Kagome stiffened as she began to shrug into her kimono. She wrapped it tightly around her before turning back. "What did you say?"  
  
"He's an Inu Yoikah... the leader of the Inu Yoikah actually." Naraku said patiently. "Kill him and your Kouga will have no one to fight. He will return to you."  
  
Kagome remained speechless.  
  
"He's evil... he's aggressive... he's destructive... and he takes human life without hesitation." He rattled off. "Believe me, baby, you will be doing everyone a lot of good by ridding us of him."  
  
"Why me?" Kagome winced. "If this guys so dangerous why don't you send someone else?"  
  
"Because no one else can do it." Naraku told her seriously. "Maybe I could have... but I can't nowadays... I'd send a warrior... but I doubt I would find one strong enough to succeed. I would send a prostitute, but I don't think his tastes run in that direction." Plus, Kagome was the perfect image of Kikyo... the one certain person that had managed to work her way under the hanyou's skin.  
  
"If... if I get rid of him... I will be free?" Kagome asked slowly.  
  
"Indeed."  
  
"And Kouga will have no one to fight?" She asked in a small voice.  
  
"He will return." At least that wasn't a lie.  
  
"All I have to do is kill him?"  
  
"I doubt you could do it face to face." Naraku said realistically. "I suggest you do as I say and work to gain his trust... and then when you feel safe and secure in his presence... strike..."  
  
Kagome frowned.  
  
"What is your answer?"  
  
"You already know it really..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: So tired... better go to bed now... 


	4. The Bridge

AN: Ok, I better add another disclaimer.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own the plot of Hercules either.  
  
AN: I will say this now: I have NEVER seen that film, but if the plots are too similar then I might get sued for plagiarism - and I don't want that to happen. But since I haven't seen the film then I really doubt that it'll turn out the same way in the end, because that's impossible. Anyway, just to be safe, I'm on a mission to find the film and watch it and try and steer clear of doing the same plot (though I've already planned out the entire fic and I ain't changing it).  
  
Anyway - thank you to Trunks who sent me that e-card - wow! The first one I've received this year, thank you ^_^!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
The Bridge  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The great thing about being in a village so far from home was that nobody recognised you. And nowadays it seemed that the friendliest people Kagome met were the ones that didn't know her...  
  
"Morning lass, anything I can do you for?"  
  
Kagome quickly weaved her way through the crowd to the stables between two houses. She smiled pleasantly and held up her stolen bag of money. "Hi - can I buy a ride?"  
  
"Sure - how much you got?" the man looked in her purse and his eyes widened considerably. "Well... uh... you could buy all the horses here for that much."  
  
"I only need one."  
  
"That's ok, then." The man almost had to wipe his drool away. He waved his hand to the six horses line up and tied to the stall posts by the halters. "Stallions... mares... geldings... personally I think a nice little mare would do you nice."  
  
"Hang on..." Kagome's eyes fell on one of the horses in particular. "Where did you get that gelding from?"  
  
"Oh that one?" the man visibly shuddered as he remembered. "That brown one was given to me by a merchant this morning... hah... merchant my arse... rotten manners..."  
  
The horse was the same one that had brought her to Inaki... the one that the young lord had been riding. It recognised her and perked up at once. "Aw... he didn't like you did he... mean guy..." she looked up at the seller. "Why did the man give you this horse?"  
  
"Said it was too much trouble. Sweet tempered as anything if you ask me. He said he wanted a faster, more reliable one. He traded it for a white stallion."  
  
"White?" Kagome shrugged. "I would have gotten black... it would have matched his hair at least..."  
  
"Black?" the man shook his head. "I think you must be thinking of someone else. The man that gave me that horse had white hair."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome frowned. "Never mind then..."  
  
"Where are you heading?"  
  
"The coast."  
  
"You'll want a sturdy one with stamina then." The man nodded to the gelding she was petting. "I'd take the brown one then."  
  
"I think I shall." Kagome smiled and handed over the money.  
  
"Will you be travelling alone?" the man asked, "The woods ain't safe for a young lass all on her own."  
  
"Don't I know it..." Kagome sighed but shook her head. "I'll be ok."  
  
"Sure now? I could arrange an escort?"  
  
Kagome smiled at his kindness. "Thank you, but I have to go alone - but if you could do me a favour? If the owner of this horse comes by and wonders where his old horse went - don't tell him Kagome took it."  
  
"Kagome took it. Gotcha."  
  
Maybe she should have just kept quiet. She pulled herself up onto the saddle and was about to leave when she remembered something. "Oh - you wouldn't happen to know anything about the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
"Shikon no Tama?" the man echoed and frowned. "What you want to know about that for?"  
  
"I'm looking for it."  
  
The man snorted. "Good luck. That jewel belongs to the Inu Youkai now."  
  
Kagome frowned. "What do you mean?"  
  
"Who doesn't know about that?" the man leaned against a post. "The warlord up in that palace," he gestured with his chin to the one on the slope of the mountain that overlooked the small town, "He was given that thing by some travelling Miko. A little while ago he passed it on to a young Inu Youkai lord..."  
  
"Really... how long ago?"  
  
"Seven or eight months ago..." the man rubbed his chin. "Definitely less than a year ago."  
  
This was working out perfect after all. The Inu demon that the man was talking about could only be Inuyasha. If Inuyasha had the jewel then maybe... maybe Kagome could find him and take it from him - that way she wouldn't have to kill anybody. She could use the jewel and hide from Naraku...  
  
She liked the sound of that deal better than ending anyone's life by her own hands.  
  
Kagome smiled and waved. "Thank you, sir, I'll be going now."  
  
"Good luck, lass."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Sorry we couldn't have been much more of a help to you, Lord Inuyasha."  
  
"S'ok." Inuyasha shrugged as he walked out the gates leading the white horse. He liked this one much better because it was way more obedient than the last.  
  
"The last time we saw your father was several months ago. We gave him the Shikon to pass on to you by the Miko's request." The warlord shrugged with puzzlement. "We haven't heard from him since. We assumed he had made it back to your land safely."  
  
"Yeah, well he didn't." Inuyasha said somewhat shortly.  
  
"By the way... where be your land?" The warlord asked slyly.  
  
Inuyasha stopped walking, gave him a withering glare. "Up in the clouds just beneath heaven. You can't miss us."  
  
He swung himself up onto the horse and took the reins. "Well this has been a spectacular waste of time and energy. Nice seeing you again."  
  
"Lord Inuyasha!" the warlord quickly caught his attention. "Maybe there is some news that will help you."  
  
Inuyasha paused. "Go on."  
  
"We here have heard a rumour of some things up north. Something about another Warlord getting his hands on a Youkai... specifically... an Inu Youkai..."  
  
Inuyasha watched him through narrowed eyes. "Why didn't you say this earlier?"  
  
"We dismissed it as a rumour..." the man shrugged again. "We didn't think it would be your father at least... your father is far too strong to allow himself to be taken hostage."  
  
"Further north, right?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow as the lord nodded.  
  
If he'd had more time he might have gone and visited every country in Japan to find the Warlord with the dog demon... but he didn't have time at all. He'd been gone for too long by now, and his mother was probably worried sick about him... and he still had to go back and make sure Kouga or Sesshomaru didn't attack. He'd have to delay his search... but he wasn't going to put it off.  
  
"Ok then, you've been a little helpful I guess." Inuyasha shrugged indifferently and without a word of goodbye he spurred his horse forward and surged off down the road that led to the village. He'd head for the coast from there... plus, he knew a few short cuts that would get him there before nightfall.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Eye spy with my little eye... something beginning with..." Naraku looked around. "S."  
  
"Sky." Kagome guessed dully.  
  
"No."  
  
"Slope...?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Stone...?" Kagome looked around when he shook his head. What else began with S on the trail?  
  
They were walking down a road through the forest towards the coast. Kagome was riding on the back of her new gelding while Naraku simply walked along beside her, guiding her so she wouldn't get lost.  
  
"Um... slow horse?"  
  
"Nah, that would be S H."  
  
"Uh... sandals."  
  
"I don't see any sandals on you."  
  
Kagome frowned and looked around. "Ok, I give up. What begins with S?"  
  
"Sintristus-epiclormus."  
  
Kagome turned to stare at him for a moment. "But that's TWO words."  
  
"Not really..."  
  
"What the hell is it?"  
  
"To you - uneducated peasant - it would be the common blue flower you so delicately tread on as you walk." Naraku pointed out.  
  
Kagome looked down before giving him a dirty look. "I AM educated... I know how to read. What's your problem?"  
  
"Why couldn't you have been more like your cousin, Baby?" Naraku sighed wearily. "SHE could read Kanji."  
  
"Hey - I can read Hiragana and Katakana!" Kagome said stiffly. "I don't need to know much else! And if I don't need to know anything else then why should I bother learning it? It's just a waste of time..."  
  
"No wonder your family didn't hesitate to disown you..." Naraku said with a smirk in his tone.  
  
Kagome's hands tightened on the reins. She had told herself long ago not to rise to his bait. There was nothing Naraku liked to do more than compare her faults to Kikyo's skills. Kikyo was good at archery... Kikyo was good at casting spells... Kikyo knew how to read Kanji... Kikyo knew this, Kikyo knew that. Kikyo never got involved with the wrong people. Kikyo always put other people's happiness before her own. She knew what was evil and what was pure. Kikyo wouldn't hesitate to do the right thing...  
  
Kagome was selfish, Kagome was greedy, Kagome only every thought of herself and put her own happiness before others. Kagome would kill a prince just to get her soul back. Kagome couldn't read right, Kagome ain't speakin' right neither. Kagome cursed (mildly) every now and then and Kagome once drank a whole cup and sake by herself - the scandal! Kagome gets involved with demons - WOLF demons no less. Kagome gets engaged to wolf demon leaders. Kagome brings the dead back to life and Kagome has no soul.  
  
That was how people viewed the two girls that for all appearances could have been sisters... or even twins. Sometimes people often got their names confused. And since forever, Kagome's mother had always referred to her as 'Kikyo-Kagome'. Meaning she would always start off talking to Kagome to same way.  
  
"Would you come here a moment Kik- I mean - Kagome."  
  
At first it could have been an innocent mistake. But after years Kagome had just accepted the fact that her mother had never been good with names. She also accepted the fact that her mother had always really wanted Kikyo as a daughter instead of Kagome.  
  
"The love really bloomed in your house didn't it?" Naraku commented suddenly.  
  
Kagome shot him a wary look. "Are you sure you can't read my mind?"  
  
"Only when you think loud enough." He replied dryly. "Sometimes you think too much Kagome. It gets annoying."  
  
"That's because I'm really intelligent... fundamentally." Kagome huffed.  
  
"Can you smell that?"  
  
Kagome sniffed the air and frowned. "Salt?"  
  
"It's the sea."  
  
"Wow..." Kagome had never been as far as Inaki before. She hadn't gotten around as much as Kikyo had. Smelling the sea was an entirely new thing for her... quite an interesting one.  
  
By the time they reached the actual coast it was pretty dark and a tiny slit of a crescent moon could be seen above. Kagome led the gelding down to the beach and walked along with Naraku. "So... uh... how do we get to this island again?"  
  
"We?" Naraku laughed. "You are going, not I."  
  
"Coward." Kagome muttered discreetly.  
  
"Keep walking along the beach and you shall find out how to get across. You must be quick though."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You'll see." Naraku said mysteriously.  
  
Kagome followed Naraku across the sands, looking out for a boat or a bridge of some kind that would take her across to the island that was supposed to be out there. She also didn't understand why it had to be night in order to cross.  
  
Kagome just sat back and enjoyed the feeling of being beside the sea. The salty air made her hair smell tangy, and the sand prickled her bare skin. The air was chilly and the winds were unusually furious this far out. But Kagome had never seen anything like it, and savoured it.  
  
"Here." Naraku suddenly stopped and Kagome blinked back to reality. She followed his gaze out to the water and her mouth dropped open slightly in surprise.  
  
"That's... wow..."  
  
The sea, it seemed, was divided by a stretch of sand that led off through the water towards... towards the horizon at least. Kagome couldn't see the island because it was too far away... but she had to wonder about the bridge of sand through the water. "What is that?"  
  
"The sand bank that connects the island to the mainland." Naraku said evenly. "Normally it is hidden by the water. But for three nights every month, the tide falls low enough to allow travellers to pass along it. Though you have to be quick to cross otherwise the tide will rise again and swallow you up before you reach the other side."  
  
"Three nights only?" Kagome couldn't tear her eyes away.  
  
"The night before the new moon, the new moon itself, and the night after as well." Naraku nodded. "This is the last night it will be present."  
  
"So I have to cross the sand to the island." Kagome said slowly. "Then I have to wait a whole month to get back again."  
  
"You'll have roughly that much time to kill Inuyasha." Naraku told her. "Now you better go. You shouldn't waste much more time - and make sure you run."  
  
"Are you sure you won't come with?"  
  
"Why? I can't do anything." Naraku scoffed. "I'll only make you more suspicious... and besides... I am sure Lord Inuyasha will recognise me."  
  
"You've met before then?" Kagome asked quickly.  
  
"Let's call what you're doing a personal vendetta." She could almost see him bristle. "That fool turned me into what I am now..."  
  
A beat passed before Kagome broke into his dark thoughts.  
  
"An annoying, stuck-up, patronising, stubborn, bastard who can't let things go?" Kagome guessed.  
  
Naraku sighed. "Don't interrupt my mood of animosity, Kagome."  
  
"You're mood of what?"  
  
"Oh for... Will you just go, you are wasting precious time." He snapped. "You may be immortal - but only immortal as a vampire. You can still die if you drown, get beheaded, get stabbed, get poisoned, get suffocated... understand?"  
  
"What?!" Kagome barked. "You said I was immortal!!"  
  
"Well... not TECHNICALLY immortal." Naraku defended himself. "You got long life but that's about it."  
  
Kagome ground her teeth. "If you were made of solid matter... the things I would do to you..."  
  
"Let's not get kinky, Baby. Let's just get you moving." Naraku nodded towards the sand bank. "Now go."  
  
Kagome swallowed the bitter insult that was on the tip of her tongue, and urged the gelding into a run towards the sand bank. When she was on it she had much more ease guiding the animal across the hard wet sand.  
  
"And remember-" Naraku called after her. "-BE the princess of darkness! The sultry temptress! The object of all his wildest desires! BE KIKYO!......... What did I say about the waving thing, Baby?!"  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha had waited patiently beside the beach until the crescent moon had risen and the tides had fallen away to reveal the bridge. At that exact moment he'd taken his horse and charged across the sands at full tilt, anxious to see if everything was all right at the palace.  
  
Call him a mummy's boy if you will... but he WAS worried about his mother.  
  
He reached the island at midnight exactly and headed south at once, not bothering to bow or greet the sentries there in any way. It wasn't long before he emerged from the forest and pounded across the vast grass lands that lay before the Southern palace. The grassy plains was where a lot of the Inu Youkai hung out - actually, where a lot of children hung out. They didn't often see their prince, and squealed happily as he swept past and cheered.  
  
It obviously didn't matter to them that he was only a hanyou.  
  
He passed the two lakes until he finally reached the palace and dismounted. His poor ride had been pushed too hard by now, and was labouring for breath. Inuyasha just left it by the gates of the palace for the stable hands to look after and went to go find his mother.  
  
No surprises - he found her in the Throne room, fretting her head off.  
  
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" she literally screamed when she spotted him coming in. "I have been worried SICK about you! Do you like making your mother sick?! Are you that cruel?!"  
  
"I missed you too, Ma," without warning he reached out to her and pulled her into a big hug.  
  
This caught her by surprise and she stiffened somewhat. "What's the matter with you? Have you got a temperature?" she checked his forehead when he pulled back. "I can't begin to tell you how I fretted. Gone during the new moon... last time you left me when it was your time of the month you were half dead by morning."  
  
"Oh thanks... and I was so close to permanently blocking that experience from my memory." Inuyasha smiled wryly.  
  
"So you're back - what did you learn?" His mother asked anxiously. "You found his body didn't you - tell me you found his body."  
  
"No. He's alive."  
  
She looked a little crestfallen.  
  
"Don't look too disappointed." Inuyasha scowled. "I saw the Warlord in Inaki, he said there were rumours that a warlord up north had Dad as a hostage."  
  
"Just rumours, Inuyasha." She shook her head tightly.  
  
Inuyasha's frowned deepened. "How can you say that? I thought you loved him?"  
  
"I do! I did!" Lady Inu sighed. "But sometimes you just have to accept that they're gone... he isn't coming back to us. You really think your father would still be alive? He would at least have found some way of getting a message to us. And do you really believe he would be so weak as to be captured by humans? They're just rumours, son, just rumours."  
  
Inuyasha walked away from her, a dark look on his face. "It's so easy for you to give up on him. He's gone six months and you presume he's dead. Don't you even grieve?"  
  
Lady Inu swayed slightly. "You think I haven't?"  
  
"A little quick to grieve aren't you?" Inuyasha shot at her.  
  
Lady Inu suppressed a scream. "There's no right way to answer your questions is there?! I grieve yes - but I also have to hold a Kingdom of demons together - I am only human Inuyasha... do you know how hard this is for me?"  
  
"And this is roughly the point where you start talking about Tessaiga and the throne, isn't it?" Inuyasha said flatly.  
  
Lady Inu walked across the hall to point to the old rusty sword that had belonged to her husband, carved from his own fang. It was hung by two pegs against a wall. "Take it - use it!" she then pointed to an ancient pair of iron cuffs that were worn by the ruler of the kingdom lying beneath the sword on a low table... obviously Inuyasha's father wasn't wearing them. "Take these - wear them!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"At least pick them up!" She pleaded. "The moment you pick them up you can be the new Emperor - you'll take so much weight off my shoulders - Sesshomaru may not attack and you can defend your people properly! It's THAT simple."  
  
"I am not picking them up, Ma!" he gestured angrily. "He's still alive - and I am NOT taking the throne away from him."  
  
He pivoted and started to stomp out of the hall. His mother rapped her fingers anxiously against her thighs before remembering something. "Oh - Inuyasha - you must go see Lady Katara!"  
  
He stopped as he reached the doors. "Who?"  
  
"The new lady in the palace - from the village close by."  
  
"Why should I see her?"  
  
"Because you're both engaged to be married in two weeks!" she called cheerfully.  
  
The reaction was instantaneous. The doors slammed so hard after him that the frames groaned and crack slightly. His mother smiled to herself.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome urged the gelding faster as they approached the island shore. It was so close... but not close enough. The sun was beginning to rise and the tide was coming in amazingly fast. It was so close that it was beginning to lap a the gelding's hooves.  
  
"Come on... come on... we're so close..." she urged him faster, feeling guilty as she heard him strain.  
  
The shore grew closer, and gradually the horse had to slow down as the water rose to his knees.  
  
"Just a little bit more..." she crooned, rubbing his neck firmly.  
  
The water reached up to its chest and Kagome's legs were submerged by the time the horse began to reach sloping ground towards the beach. Kagome sighed with relief as the gelding trod out of the water onto the sands and drew to a halt, clearing stating enough was enough.  
  
Kagome slid off his back, also exhausted and patted his neck gratefully. "Good boy..."  
  
Now she had to wonder which way south was...  
  
Was it left or right? She'd pretty much arrived slap bang in the middle of the island as far as she could see... and she was surrounded by nothing but sandy beaches and forest.  
  
She waited a while, mulling over which direction until the horse had recovered enough to keep moving. Kagome, didn't ride him though... she just took his reins and guided him right, moving along the beach to see where it would take her.  
  
She half expected to bump into the Lord himself as she walked, but it was a big island, and somehow she doubted the probability of that happening. Every now and then she thought she heard sounds coming from the forest to her left and stopped to listen. But the sounds weren't very ominous, and were probably just some woodland creatures messing around in the trees.  
  
"Where's Kouga when I need him..." Kagome sighed distantly.  
  
She hated him with eighty-two percent of her heart. But the other eighteen percent still loved him and wished he could still be by her side...  
  
"Hey you!"  
  
Kagome stopped abruptly and spun towards the trees.  
  
Two men in armour were approaching her. Actually... that was some pretty expensive looking armour they were wearing. It took her a moment to actually realise what they were... because they most definitely weren't human. Both had medium length white hair tied back, amber eyes and elf ears. Faint stripes marked their arms and each had two stripes running on each cheek.  
  
"Are you... Inu Youkai?" she whispered, recoiling slightly as the approached.  
  
"She's human." One said to the other.  
  
"Kill her." The second one nodded.  
  
"Whoa - wait!" Kagome yelled out before something struck her head from behind.  
  
A flush of cold went through her until she faded into unconsciousness.  
  
The gelding reared slightly, until the reins were grabbed by the female Inu Youkai that had struck Kagome. "Don't kill her." She snapped to the two men. "Take her at once to his Lord Sesshomaru."  
  
Kagome had obvious taken the wrong turn at some point.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well this had originally been my attempt at making a semi-serious fic... but I think I keep adding humour in (or what I think might be humour). That happens when I get bored with the scenes... sorry... 


	5. Added Incentive

Disclaimer: All regular whatever apply to whatever I write - including the one about Hercules. I'm really put out about that... they stole my idea! (Although that's pretty much impossible as well)  
  
AN: I'm so annoyed this week. My sister's back from University and she's given me some new virus. Now I've lost my voice and I keep answering the phone when it rings - only to realise moments later that I can't even say 'Hello? What do you want?'  
  
Well at least I don't sound like Jacken anymore... I just sound like the wind...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Added Incentive  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Everything was so cold. Her whole right side had gone numb with the cold and she couldn't feel her cheek. The air was frigid and bone chilling and even more importantly - her feet were so cold they might as well have been blocks of ice.  
  
The rapid tapping sound in the background caused Kagome to realise something wasn't right. It was usually nice and warm in the mornings at this time of year... that's why she hadn't bothered with shoes lately. But right now it was brass monkey weather...  
  
She slowly blinked open her eyes and blinked animatedly for a few moments, trying to clear the morning fuzz from them so she could see... but it was so dark she needn't have bothered. With stiff movements she slowly sat up on the freezing stone floor - a difficult task when her hands were tied behind her back.  
  
Kagome shivered slightly as the cold reached her bones and her teeth began to chatter. Where the heck was she? Why did her head hurt? She wanted to reach up and touch the wet patch on the back of her head, but was unable to. So she set about trying to struggle free.  
  
The last thing she remembered was wading through the surf with the gelding she'd bought in Inaki... It was like her memory stopped just about there and she'd been transported here. What on earth was going on?  
  
As more of her senses returned to her she realised the tapping sound was the sound of rain, or hail outside. Which brought up the question of where she was again.  
  
She was just about to try and stand when a new tapping sound reached her ears and she froze to focus on that sound. After a moment she realised it was the sound of footsteps drawing nearer. The footsteps stopped for a moment, and she listened intently, trying to locate them... when suddenly the door to her cell swung open and light flooded into the dingy little room.  
  
Kagome blinked and turned away for a moment as the shock of bright light stung her eyes. She finally gathered enough courage to look back, and her eyes trailed up to see her visitor. An immensely tall young man with immensely long white hair with immensely expensive armour and an immensely fluffy boa? Or maybe it was a tale... Her stinging eyes picked up finer details... like the two red slashes across his cheeks, the crescent moon on his forehead... the amber eyes and the strange beauty around him.  
  
"Are you... Are you Inuyasha?" she prayed to god that he wasn't. He may have been beautiful but an air of malice had entered the room with him. He terrified her even more than Naraku.  
  
There was complete silence before he gave a low chuckle that sent little shivers down her spine. "How amusing. How is it you know that wretches name?"  
  
Kagome had to restrain a big sigh of relief. He wasn't the Prince she was looking for. But that still didn't mean she was safe. "I..." she struggled to answer his question. "I was sent to find him... please... where can I find him."  
  
"No where in this Kingdom fortunately."  
  
Kagome mentally cursed Naraku. Had he deliberately led her wrong.  
  
"You're Inu Youkai, right?" she asked hesitantly. "I mean... not to say you're scruffy... or you smell like wet dog or anything... but...?"  
  
"Who are you?" He asked her bluntly.  
  
"Um..." Kagome couldn't remember... her mind went completely blank. She didn't have amnesia or anything, she was just stumped with fear.  
  
Suddenly the man before her sucked in a breath and crouched down before her. "Tilt your head up."  
  
He had gotten awfully close all of a sudden, and Kagome's heart beat had doubled at once. She didn't particularly want to tilt her head and expose any more neck than necessary. When she didn't obey at once, he raised a strong hand and pushed her chin up harshly - so fast she almost got whiplash. He was looking at her in the light from the corridor behind him. Kagome just closed her eyes and wished he would go away, or release her from the prison she was in.  
  
"Open your eyes." He demanded.  
  
Kagome opened them without thinking and blinked rapidly. She saw him frown at once. "Close them again."  
  
She paused before doing as she was told. She didn't like it back home when boys got close and then told her to close her eyes... yeah... like she'd fall for that...  
  
"You look more like her with your eyes closed." He dropped her chin and pulled back. "Too much naivete in you I think."  
  
"I agree." Kagome said without thinking, before wanting to kick herself. She didn't want to do anything to provoke this guy.  
  
"You want Inuyasha you say?" he stood up suddenly and clapped his hands. The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard from outside before. Kagome glanced past him as a guard arrive holding a cup of steaming broth. The man took it from the guard before holding it out to her. "Drink."  
  
Kagome only realised how thirsty and hungry she was until that point, and she almost greedily accepted it. But then she realised... she didn't know whether or not it was poison... She cast a sceptical look aback up at the man.  
  
He smirked before holding it to his own lips. "It's not poison." He took a short swig and swallowed. "See?"  
  
He held it back down against Kagome's lips... until her thirst got the better of her and she hastily gulped it down. When she had taken enough he tossed the cup over his shoulder and sniffed. "Well not poisonous to me at least."  
  
Kagome stared at him as realisation sank in, and her stomach heaved. But she practically had nothing in it... and she couldn't bring anything up.  
  
She heard her captor chuckle as she clutched at her throat. "Little fool... you were right... you really are naïve."  
  
"Why?!" Kagome asked sharply, trying to spit out the liquid she'd drank. "Does that even merit a point to poison me? Why not just kill me and have done with it?!"  
  
"Because then you would be useless to me." He smirked. "You will die in three months if you don't receive the cure to that poison. I suggest you do as I say... or I won't give you the cure."  
  
Kagome rubbed her mouth. "Go on..."  
  
"You look like Kikyo. Are you aware of this?"  
  
Kagome nodded. She had a feeling she knew where this was heading...  
  
"I want you to go see the Southern 'prince' after all." He almost spat the word 'prince'. "Get to know him... then report back to me and tell me his greatest weakness."  
  
"His greatest weakness?" Kagome echoed. "What if he doesn't have one?"  
  
"All scruff like him have weaknesses. Just tell me the night he turns human."  
  
"He turns human?!" Kagome gaped at him. Her plans to use the prince were fading slightly... she was bound to feel more compassionate towards humans... but... what on earth was he that he could be both demon and human.  
  
She didn't ask or push her luck.  
  
"You'll give me the cure if I tell you when he turns human?" Kagome nodded. Maybe she could do that... it wasn't like she was going to be forced to kill him...  
  
Maybe she could give this guy what he wanted and get the cure... and then she could take the Shikon off Inuyasha and use it to hide from Naraku... and then she could live the rest of her life by herself, alone... with no Kouga...  
  
"I can do that." Kagome nodded quickly. "But where do I find him?"  
  
"Don't worry, I, Sesshomaru will take you as far as the border."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Uh... Sango?"  
  
"Not now, your majesty, I'm busy."  
  
"No - Sango - you really need to take Fushi." Inuyasha trailed after her.  
  
"But I'm busy - I have to deliver this material to your mother's seamstress in five minutes otherwise she'll bite my head off." She glanced back at him before quickly adding, "Your majesty."  
  
"Sango - take the damn baby before it pukes on me!" Inuyasha forcibly dumped the bawling infant into her arms. "It needs changing too."  
  
"Well why can't you do it?" she scowled, adjusting her hold on the baby before passing him straight back.  
  
"He's your son - not mine!"  
  
"You could have also said that you are the prince and I'm just a servant," she told him but shrugged. "But please - the seamstress is a real old crab - if I'm late she'll work me in the kitchens - and then your mother will be mad at me for not attending her."  
  
"I am NOT changing the baby!" Inuyasha growled. "I'll fire the damn seamstress if I have to, but I am NOT doing anything more than fucking babysitting."  
  
Sango lunged for the child and covered his ears. "Would you at least TRY and keep your cussing mild in front of Fushi?!"  
  
"Oh... sorry..." he was about to hand the baby over when Sango turned tail and hurried away. "Wait - where are you going?!"  
  
"To the seamstress!"  
  
"I order you to stay here and clean Fushi!"  
  
"I obey your mother, Inuyasha - not you." She called over her shoulder as she disappeared up the corridor. "I'll be right back!"  
  
"I think you're forgetting the LORD before my name, bitch - oops!" he quickly clamped his mouth shut as he remembered he wasn't supposed to swear in front of the baby. "You're mother's a nasty piece of work you know that?"  
  
Fushi's response was to carry on bawling at the top of his lungs. "Uh..." Inuyasha held him at arms-length... not entirely sure what he was supposed to do now.  
  
He could always dump the kid off on one of the maids... but he didn't entirely trust full blooded demons to take it easy on a full blooded human baby. Plus Sango would be mad at him if he did that. Best take Fushi to his mother...  
  
"Ma - y0u gotta let Sango take it easy - she isn't getting any time with Fushi... any..." he trailed off as he arrived in the throne room. "...more..."  
  
"Oh, wow - what a cute baby!" a completely unknown woman rushed up and all but snatched the child from his hands. "Who's the iddy biddy, human baby, eh?!"  
  
Inuyasha cast a stumped look at his mother who was smiling widely at him. Inuyasha glanced back at the woman - before quickly realising that she was a she-wolf. He snatched the child back without warning, holding him just out of her reach. "And who are you?"  
  
"Inuyasha - allow me to introduce Lady Kameri." Lady Inu's smile was so wide it could have cracked her face in half. "You remember we talked about this, son? She's Kouga's sister..."  
  
Inuyasha's brow lowered dangerously.  
  
"We were just discussing the prospect of marriage!" Lady Inu pressed her hands together happily. "A union between our two cultures could result in peace - and create valuable allies in this war against Sesshomaru."  
  
"And I just adore men with responsibility." Lady Kameri grinned before pointing to the baby boy. "Is he one of yours?"  
  
"Ma..." Inuyasha growled dangerously as he stomped over and dumped the baby on her. "I thought we already argued about this..."  
  
"Yes we did. And I won." She said without a break in her smile as she bounced Fushi until he'd settled down.  
  
"So tell me more about yourself, Lord Inuyasha." Lady Kameri came forward. Inuyasha inched back slightly, trying to position his mother between them. He couldn't stand wolves...  
  
"Well he's sporty, refined, has rather good fashion taste if I may say so myself." Lady Inu spoke before Inuyasha could. "He enjoys dining and horse riding."  
  
None of the above was true whatsoever.  
  
"Wonderful! I do love sporty men! I love horses!"  
  
"Ooh... too bad... I can't stand them." Inuyasha smirked. "Sorry, don't do sports either - I'm just a big lazy ass that hangs around the palace."  
  
"Since when?" his mother frowned at him.  
  
"Since she wanted a sporty man." Inuyasha answered quietly.  
  
Just then Sango burst in through the doors, obviously out of breath. She smiled sheepishly at Inuyasha and Lady Inu and hurried forward to take Fushi. "Sorry about that... had to go see seamstress... it's ok now... I can change him..." she said between pants before scowling at Inuyasha. "I thought you'd ran off with him... I was looking everywhere."  
  
"Serves you right." Inuyasha shot back.  
  
"Thanks for taking care of him though, bye." She hurried off again with Fushi in her arms.  
  
Lady Kameri watched her exit, seemingly less than impressed. "I really do think you should have more control over your slave's manners of behaviour."  
  
The smile disappeared from Lady Inu's face and she exchanged looks with Inuyasha who sent her a smug smirk. Lady Inu liked Sango as her lady in waiting... Sango didn't need to be so formal. She'd been through a lot. Obviously Lady Kameri had just outstayed her welcome.  
  
"Well, it sure has been a pleasant visit, Lady Kameri." Lady Inu said at once. "Inuyasha - could you please escort our lady to the barge so she can return back to the mainland."  
  
"With pleasure." He smirked and dragged the young woman off to all but throw her off the island.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome staggered as she tried to keep up with the pace Sesshomaru was setting. He'd been generous enough to give her fresh clothes, allowed her to bathe, and let one of his attendants see to her wound on the back of her head. He'd even let her bring her horse along. Beside the fact that he'd poisoned her... he'd been quite polite.  
  
That still didn't mean she liked him any more than she should.  
  
"Keep up, girl." Sesshomaru called stoically over his shoulder, never betraying a hint of emotion.  
  
So far Kagome had gathered enough information to know that the island was split into two separate kingdoms. The north and the south... of course she'd just HAD to have gone north and gotten herself into a worse state... Getting caught up in a civil war wasn't what she'd had in mind.  
  
"Are you sure the sentries won't grab me and knock me out too?" Kagome called as she hurried to keep up, holding the skirts of her long kimono to run. "Because I don't think I'd survive if they hit the same spot twice... my head still hurts."  
  
"Of course it does. You're a delicate little human. Naturally it would kill you."  
  
"That's not what I wanted to hear..." Kagome said slowly, looking up at him as she kept pace. "WILL they hit me too?"  
  
Sesshomaru sighed deeply. "Probably not. Their leader is a human after all. Of course she'd have a soft spot for others of her kind. You'll be taken straight to her no doubt."  
  
"Human - wait!" Kagome stumbled in surprise. "I thought this guy Inuyasha was the ruler."  
  
"Not as of yet."  
  
"So the ruler is a human woman? Ruling over Inu Youkai?" Kagome asked, plucking her skirts from the thorns of a bush that she passed. "Don't they mind."  
  
Sesshomaru remained neutral. "No."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"It is not your place to ask questions, girl." He interrupted. "The next question you should ask will be aimed at Inuyasha - inquiring as to when his human night will occur."  
  
"Ok... gotcha..." Kagome muttered.  
  
Suddenly Sesshomaru stopped and Kagome drew to a halt a few steps ahead of him. She looked back. "Is something wrong?"  
  
"Is that another question?" he glared at her.  
  
Kagome sealed her lips.  
  
"This is the border between the two kingdoms." He gestured with a hand. "Continue on until the sentries find you and knock you out."  
  
What was worse than a creep guy? A creepy guy with a twisted sense of humour...  
  
"Ok..." Kagome looked around, wondering how the hell he could tell that this was the border. It just looked like the average forest...  
  
Kagome turned to look back at Sesshomaru... only to find he had vanished... almost the same way Naraku liked to do. With a worried little frown she pulled herself up onto the geldings back and carefully set off through the forest, wondering when clubs were going to come flying out of the trees and knock her off the saddle.  
  
The gelding seemed a little nervous... no change there... it didn't seem to like demons too much. Kagome patted his neck compassionately. "It's ok... you're not the one that's been fed poison..."  
  
She didn't know that for sure of course... but she didn't want to cause him unnecessary worry. Kagome realised that her own tension must have been setting him off too, and so forced herself to relax. But she might as well have asked the waters to part to let her back across the sand bridge.  
  
Then finally they found her.  
  
"Halt! Who goes there?!"  
  
She drew to an abrupt halt as one lone man dressed in armour approached her on his own dark coloured horse. Kagome quickly took in his appearance... white hair... amber eyes... though fortunately his armour was a different colour to the sentries in the north... and if anything it looked a little cheaper. This guy didn't have any stripes on his face either... maybe there were two different types of Inu Youkai here?  
  
"Who goes there?" he repeated, flashing a look at her dark hair and slightly grubby clothes. Yes. After only wearing them for three hours she'd managed to turn up as grubby as ever.  
  
"Uh... I er... came to see your Lord - or Lady." Kagome didn't know which to ask for. "Um... take me to your leader!"  
  
"Bold demands." He commented.  
  
"I'm in a bit of a hurry."  
  
"You're human."  
  
"And you're very observant!" she smiled cheerfully.  
  
"I shall take you to our queen." The man rode up to her, snatched her reins from her grip before she could protest, and began to guide her in his own direction.  
  
Well at least she wasn't being clubbed to death, so there was a good start. She just sat back and waited for him to take her to some place interesting.  
  
They must have been travelling for over an hour, making Kagome wonder how big the island really was, until they finally emerged from the forest into a large landscape of fresh looking green grass. Kagome sat up at once and looked around. "This looks like a nice place." She said to the sentry who just ignored her.  
  
Kagome looked up at the sky... blue as anything compared to the grey climate up north... and the grass was short and lush - being kept by various wandering cattle that dotted the landscape here and there.  
  
Her gaze finally looked ahead to see two large lakes stretched out before a large... rather exquisite looking palace that was set against a rising slope. Forest surrounded the meadows of grass and ran behind the palace. Beyond that Kagome guessed was the sea.  
  
As she was led on she began to notice that not only cattle hung out in the pastures, but people too. If she hadn't known any better she would have mistaken them for humans, but here she knew they had to be demons. But they all did some rather human things... like the youngsters were all playing and running around.  
  
No wonder Sesshomaru wanted this Kingdom for himself. His kingdom sucked compared to this...  
  
She was led all the way across the meadows, between the lakes and through the large gates that enclosed the palace. They stopped at the bottom of the steps leading up to the main entrance and the sentry ordered her to dismount.  
  
"Is your leader in there?"  
  
"No she's mucking out the pig sties, what do you think?" the sentry said sarcastically. Kagome made a defensive gesture with her hands as she followed him inside.  
  
"Alright, alright..."  
  
A couple of minutes later Inuyasha came wandering up idly to climb the steps into the palace, nonchalantly chewing the end of a straw. He was about to ascend the steps when he noticed a big brown gelding had just perked up at the sight of him. He paused, staring hard at the animal for a moment while continuing to chew. After a moment he frowned lightly and cocked his head.  
  
"Have we met before...?" he asked vaguely.  
  
Surprisingly... the horse didn't reply, only turned its head sideways to see him better.  
  
"Weird... déjà vu..." Inuyasha shook his head before shrugging and continuing up the steps to the open doors of the palace. Just as he reached the top step it hit him and he spun back around to face the horse down below, the straw dropping from his mouth.  
  
"No..." he shook his head in disbelief. "I sold you! What are you - a damn homing pigeon?!"  
  
Somehow... he didn't think that gelding had arrived all by himself...  
  
With a muttered curse he spun around and charged into the palace.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Interesting - so you just stumbled upon the sand bridge last night?" Lady Inu said with awe as she poured some tea for the younger girl. "That is interesting... you must be the first human to have done that in decades..."  
  
"I was just curious to see where it led." Kagome smiled timidly. She was really trying to hide how nervous she was. Not only was she lying through her teeth - but lying to a noble - a QUEEN no less! She really had to watch her step.  
  
"A girl looking for adventure." Lady Inu smiled. "I do admire that type."  
  
Little did Kagome know, but Lady Inu was forming a plot in her own devious mind. (can you see it coming?).  
  
"So you rule this kingdom of demons by yourself?" Kagome looked around, eyeing the guards that were stood on either side of the doors.  
  
"More or less." Lady Inu sipped her tea. She discreetly eyed Kagome's dress. She was obviously fairly wealthy to be wearing such fine silk... maybe a little dirty now - but she HAD been travelling alone for quite some time. She looked fairly clean though, and even Lady Inu couldn't fail to notice the pleasant aroma that followed Kagome around.  
  
A girl like this was a gold mine. She was human, seemingly kind and pleasant to talk to. She was just PERFECT for Inuyasha. If they could get married then Lady Inu wouldn't have to worry about finding Inuyasha an heir anytime soon.  
  
A heavy shudder ran through the floor and the walls, making the tea set on the table clink with the vibrations. Kagome's eyes went wide. "Was that an earthquake?"  
  
"Oh no..." Lady Inu set her cup down and rubbed her temples. "He just HAS to be in a bad mood now of all times..." That moron was going to scare the poor girl off.  
  
"What's going on?" Kagome asked hesitantly as a crash sounded far off in the palace and the room gave another shudder, making things on shelves and mantels rattle and fall.  
  
"That would be my son." Lady Inu said flatly. "Lord Inuyasha."  
  
Panic constricted in Kagome's chest before forcing herself to laugh it off. "Oh... he doesn't sound so bad... can't be as bad as the young man I met a little while ago. A right hooligan he was."  
  
Lady Inu blinked in surprise at Kagome's casual use of language... almost how a commoner might speak. But that was ridiculous considering Kagome was obviously a noble.  
  
"Oh I don't know." Lady Inu put a hand out to stop her cup tipping over as another rumble vibrated through the throne room. "My son is demon... they tend to have more temper than human men."  
  
Kagome tried very hard not to hyperventilate.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Ooh... Sango's got a son! Three guesses about who the father is? Anyone? And will he show up? Um... I haven't decided yet... And what about Shippo...?......  
  
Next chapter - 'Red-Handed' Should be up right now ^_^ 


	6. RedHanded

AN: Cool - 2 chapters in one update ^_^. Wow... I'm speechless (for once I don't know what to write for Author's Notes and I literally can't speak!) BAD BAD Pun!  
  
Well that awful joke filled a little space...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Red Handed  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I can't believe you live in a place like this." Kagome gushed to the Queen as the older woman led her down a corridor. "This is beautiful!"  
  
"I thought you said you were a Princess?" Lady Inu gave her a quizzical look. "I thought you were used to accommodation such as this?"  
  
"Oh yes!" Kagome quickly jerked her head up. "But I travel around a lot - I'm not often back home in my... palace."  
  
"How interesting!" Lady Inu looked delighted. "I do wish I'd gotten to travel around when I was a young girl too. But, being the daughter of a King... I suppose I was hard pressed to stay demure. Tell me - who is your father, Lady Kagome?"  
  
"Um..." Kagome struggled for a name. The warlord of her own country had many daughters... she could give him one extra. "I come from Tama... the Warlord of that country is my father."  
  
"Tama... never been there."  
  
Thank god, Kagome thought to herself. She was struggling to keep up with this woman. Being a noble was much harder than she had expected. But she couldn't act normal like the commoner she was... she'd probably be sent away... would probably be seen as too unrefined to be in the presence of the Prince.  
  
"So... tell me more about your son?" Kagome asked pleasantly, trying to hide the hesitant tone in her voice.  
  
Lady Inu secretly smiled at her keen interest in her son. "Oh... he's a lovely young man really. He may seem a bit rough on the outside, but inside he's quite soft. You'll see."  
  
"I hear he used to know my cousin... Lady Kikyo." Kagome said carefully.  
  
"The Miko?" Lady Inu's voice fell a little flat, like she'd just faltered, but since she was walking ahead of Kagome, the younger woman couldn't see her expression. "Who doesn't know Lady Kikyo?"  
  
A good point. "I mean... they were close."  
  
Lady Inu didn't answer for a while. Kagome realised that she didn't want to talk about it. Eventually the Queen spoke again. "Sango will take good care of you, she'll make sure that you're taken care of. She'll give you sleeping quarters and take measurements so you can have tailored dresses from the seamstress."  
  
"Jeez... don't go to any trouble or anything..." Kagome said with a worried look. "I feel like I'm intruding."  
  
Every now and then she seemed to slip into peasant slang. Lady Inu dismissed it as nothing. As she'd said, Kagome had spent a lot of time travelling, she probably talked to commoners a lot. After all, who was she to judge? Her own son spoke like he'd been born in the gutter... no matter how hard she tried to make him speak like his father, he just wouldn't co- operate.  
  
"Here's Sango's room?" Lady Inu stopped outside a sliding door and smiled. "She'll take good care of you. I must be going - but I'll meet you at the banquet tonight."  
  
"Thank you." Kagome smiled as she departed and turned, about to knock softly on the door when she heard a crash from inside.  
  
"Why do you even bother coming around anymore you're useless!" a young woman yelled as something else smashed. This was punctuated by the sound a baby starting to cry.  
  
A man's voice sounded as well. "Maybe if you weren't such a whore I wouldn't have to come around and check on you!!"  
  
Kagome took a few steps back from the door.  
  
"You're supposed to stay here and look after Fushi while I serve the Queen!" the woman screamed. "You left him here for three hours in his crib without anyone to watch him!"  
  
"Stop whining!"  
  
There was a loud smack like a hand had connected with flesh. Kagome froze, wondering if she should go inside.  
  
"What was that for you filthy little bitch?!"  
  
"Don't call me that you bastard!" the woman yelled again. "Where are you going?! You are staying right here mister and you are going to look after the baby!"  
  
"Screw you bitch!"  
  
The door streaked open and Kagome quickly dodged out of the way as a man stormed past, a man with a big hand print on his face. A young woman, roughly the same age as Kagome stumbled out after him holding a tiny infant in her arms. "You come back here! I am not finished with you yet!"  
  
"Go screw someone else Sango-chan - I ain't doing you any more favours!" the man made a rude gesture with his arm and Sango went livid. She passed the baby to Kagome without even looking at her. "Hang on a minute - RIGHT YOU!"  
  
Kagome held the crying baby with stunned surprise as the girl ran after the man and disappeared around the corner. What followed could only be the sounds of arguing and fighting. Kagome turned back to the baby and instinctively bounced him... a little worried since she'd never held a baby before. "Don't worry... mummy's just gone to kill daddy..."  
  
Kagome looked around, still at a loss of what to do. She smiled at the baby and let him suck on her finger as he began to stop crying. Kagome glanced up finally when the fight died around the corner. The young woman named Sango came back around the corner and pushed stray wisps of hair out of her face to smile at Kagome. "Thank you, miss, I just had to go..."  
  
She trailed off as she got closer and saw Kagome properly. Almost at once she took the baby back quickly. "Miss Kikyo?"  
  
"No!" Kagome jumped quickly. "I'm Kagome - Lady Kagome... Kikyo's just my cousin."  
  
Sango seemed no less edgy. "A cousin of Lady Kikyo?" In her mind they were the same blood... bad blood. "What brings you here?"  
  
"Pure coincidence. Stumbled across the sand bridge and ended up here." Kagome tried to give her the most reassuring smile she could manage. "I'm afraid I didn't know Kikyo knew you all so well."  
  
Sango watched her uneasily for a moment before smiling hesitantly and bowing slightly. "Sorry, milady. It's just been one of those mornings... I didn't mean to be so rude."  
  
"That's ok." Kagome smiled. "Lady Inu said that you could help me out... I'll be staying here."  
  
"Staying here?" Sango looked worried. "How long?"  
  
"A month at least." Kagome frowned slightly. "Is something wrong? I don't want to intrude or anything..."  
  
Sango suddenly smiled. This girl was nothing like Kikyo... there wasn't any need to worry. "It's just... I'd steer clear of Lord Inuyasha if I were you."  
  
Something Kagome was planning to do the exact opposite of. Kagome nodded however, not really understanding Sango's immediate aversion to her. Kikyo had done something here that Kagome wasn't aware of yet... but she'd find out soon. She could be patient.  
  
"Come inside, I'll sort out some material for your new kimonos." Sango went back inside her room and placed Fushi back in his crib. "I don't know where you should stay... you couldn't have come at a worse time."  
  
"How come?" Kagome asked.  
  
"The palace has never been so busy. All the new servants, maids and butlers have all taken up the spare quarters. The only rooms left for guest use would be in the royal suit... along with her majesty and Lord Inuyasha."  
  
Kagome was both terrified and delighted at the same time. "But that's ok... I mean... I AM a Princess."  
  
"You are?" she gave Kagome a shocked look. "But... your accent... your hair..."  
  
"I... I hang around the... peasants... a lot." She had trouble saying the word 'peasants', because in all effect she WAS a peasant. Kagome found it quite insulting.  
  
"Oh..." Sango looked pleasantly surprised. Hanging around peasants was something Kikyo didn't do... she could actually grow to like this girl. "Well, since you're a guest and you're royalty, you can stay in the royal rooms. But still... keep out of Inuyasha's way."  
  
"Ok..."  
  
"Come on - let's get you washed and dry ready for the banquet." Sango smiled.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Lady Kagome." Inuyasha echoed his mother.  
  
He couldn't believe what he was hearing.  
  
"Yes... isn't it so coincidental?" His mother moved around his room, picking up his worn clothes and putting them in a pile on his bed. "You know you should really get a maid to do this... Anyway - as I was saying - she just stumbled across the sand bridge last night with her horse and arrived here. She must have had a bit of an accident because there was blood on the back of her kimono... I don't think she noticed... must have fallen... perhaps that's why her tongue slips."  
  
"Somehow I doubt that would be it..." Inuyasha clenched his fists as he glared out the window.  
  
"She's rather beautiful, I must say. Related to Kikyo." Lady Inu waited for Inuyasha to blow up.  
  
Surprisingly it didn't come. Perhaps it was because Inuyasha already knew this.  
  
"Inuyasha - are you still with me?" His mother stopped fluffing his pillow and frowned at him. "I said she was related to Kikyo."  
  
"I heard you the first time." Inuyasha said tightly.  
  
Ah... he was covering his anger, she could tell. It was good to see him making an effort.  
  
"You should really get to know her, she's a lovely girl. A lot warmer than her cousin. You'd like her..." Unless Inuyasha's type still was Kikyo's type. But maybe he'd learnt his lesson by now.  
  
"I'll get to know her..." Yeah... and hopefully wrap her around a bloody tree.  
  
She'd somehow followed him... he knew it... this was no coincidence. She'd stolen his money, bought her way into nobility and followed him... she probably knew his secret by now. If she told anyone else that he turned human on the new moon...  
  
"By the way, son, the banquet is tonight, you can meet her there." Lady Inu smiled as she left with his washing.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
What had Naraku told her about seduction? Oh yes... be polite... demure... obedient... charming... be refined, poised and make sure she washed her face at least once a day.  
  
Yeah... like Naraku was some master of seduction himself.  
  
If those methods were to fail (which was highly likely) she was to try and act like Kikyo. In other words; a stoic woman with a heart of stone. Well, whatever floated Inuyasha's boat...  
  
Kagome sighed as she ventured down another corridor. She was very lost by now, but it was a great chance to explore. She had a feeling that if Inuyasha was the one who had received the Shikon off the warlord then it would be somewhere within the palace. She just had to find it and steal it... but not before she found out when the Prince turned human so she could get the cure off Sesshomaru...  
  
Kagome passed a room and looked briefly in through the open doorway. She stopped and quickly back-stepped to take a better look. It looked like some kind of bedroom maybe, with lots of personal items here and there... but there was no bed.  
  
That was something Kagome didn't understand. She didn't recognise the use of some of these rooms. In her old home there had been two bedrooms (for a family of eight to share) and a kitchen/family area. Three rooms. That was all they needed. But here people seemed to have whole rooms to themselves... and some of those rooms were practically the same size as Kagome's house.  
  
Kagome's room, being one of the royal ones, was even bigger. It was bigger than her old house... and so naturally she felt uncomfortable and had gone for walkies.  
  
But this room... she didn't recognise. Maybe it was a lounge... but either way, it was dark, unattended and there were lots of shiny expensive looking things inside. So Kagome silently looked up and down the corridor before tiptoeing her way in and began looking around. She doubted the Shikon was in here... but there was no harm in looking. And some of this stuff could bring in a fortune if she sold it...  
  
That was Kagome's problem. After so many years of living by the skin of her teeth... she'd learned to take whatever opportunities were open to her. Causing her to be a bit of a kleptomaniac.  
  
Kagome idly picked up a small silver spoon that rested on a table in the centre of the room. She picked it up and examined it carefully despite the gloom of the room she was in. It had small rubies encrusted up the side of the handle... and judging by the weight she could safely guess that it was pure silver.  
  
"Wow..." she breathed, before abruptly slipping it into her Kimono and looking around for something else small enough to take with her.  
  
She knew stealing was wrong... but it wasn't like these people were going to really miss one spoon and a... a silver ball? Well... it didn't look like it did much other than be small and round, so she pocketed that as well.  
  
"Nice to see you took what I said to heart."  
  
Kagome gasped and spun around, afraid that she'd been caught. She HAD been caught... and it didn't look like she'd been caught by the average servant. A young man stood silhouetted in the doorway, wearing the clothes that looked suited to personal servants... or even higher. Kagome visibly gulped.  
  
"Um... do I know you?" she didn't understand what he'd just said.  
  
"You had to push it, didn't you?" he pushed off the doorframe and walked towards her. A little moonlight from out the window flashed across his face as he got closer. "You couldn't have just walked away with two Mon. You just HAD to follow me after you stole ALL my money and to do what? Blackmail me? You got some nerve bitch."  
  
Kagome's mouth fell open slightly as she saw his face. She recognised him at once - but only because of what he'd said. His face resembled the 'merchant' who had saved her from the men in the forest. His tone was the same... maybe a little rougher and his hair was white instead of black. But his face was the same...  
  
"You..." Kagome pointed at him. "Oh my god... you're him!"  
  
But that was impossible...  
  
"Of course I'm him! You followed me - you knew that!" Inuyasha snapped, not really sure of himself now. She was doing the 'I'm an innocent Princess' thing a little too well. Had he just given himself away?  
  
"No I didn't! I just stumbled onto the sand bridge... I didn't know you lived here!" she suddenly looked delighted. "Isn't such a coincidence! I thought I'd never see you again!"  
  
"I WISHED I'd never see you again!" Inuyasha ground out. "What the hell ate you doing here if you didn't follow me?!"  
  
"I told you - it was by accident!" Kagome suddenly moved forward and touched his hair. "This is amazing... is this all your natural hair?"  
  
He pushed her away sharply. "No - it's a wig! - Hey - I was only joking - you don't have to tug it that hard!"  
  
"Sorry." Kagome was finding it hard to contain her excitement. Even though this guy had been rude and rough with her... she knew he was at least a little human and had been good enough to save her and spare her life AND take her as far as Inaki. He must have been some kind of servant for the Prince - he'd probably been on an errand for him. Maybe he was a... what had Sesshomaru called it...? A hanyou? A hanyou like the Prince? "This is crazy - you're an Inu-Youkai too? Blimey..."  
  
"HALF an Inu-Youkai actually." Inuyasha batted her wandering hands away again. "And YOU are a peasant NOT a Princess!"  
  
Kagome sobered at once. "Yeah... sorry about that... it was just... your mother mistook me for one because of my clothes and well... I just played along with it. I'll be going soon though - I won't be here long. Just until the sand bridge rises again."  
  
For once Inuyasha couldn't wait until the next new moon. Months just didn't pass quick enough...  
  
"You should be executed for treason. You tricked the Queen."  
  
Kagome gasped. "I didn't mean to! I swear! And it's not like I'm doing any harm..." Well... not yet at least. "Besides - you can't execute me - you're not the Prince or the Queen."  
  
Inuyasha stilled and stared at her with disbelief. She really hadn't followed him after all. She didn't even know who he was. So instead he just rolled his eyes and tutted her. "Jeez... I think I'll keep my mouth shut then. You scrub up well at least... it'd be a shame to strip it all off you and send you back to the gutter. A bit of a waste at least."  
  
"Strip me?" Kagome quickly held her hands over her chest. "Please don't tell them who I am... I don't want to get kicked out so soon..."  
  
"I won't tell them you're a peasant." He smirked before snapping his fingers and holding his hand out, palm up. "And I won't tell them you're a thief. But you still have to give back what you just stole."  
  
Kagome looked put out for a moment before realising she didn't have a choice. "Fine..." she mumbled grudgingly and reached into her Kimono to slap the silver back into his hand. "Happy now?"  
  
"Not yet." He put the items back on the table before looking her in the eyes. "I won't tell anyone you're a peasant thief... on one condition..."  
  
Not another condition... she'd already got conditions with Naraku and Sesshomaru... she didn't need one from Krampus. "What condition?"  
  
"That you don't tell anyone that I turn human on the full moon." He said seriously without blinking. The sheet intensity of his look made her realise he was deadly serious.  
  
"Ok..." she raised her hand without breaking eye contact. "Let's shake on it."  
  
He looked down at her hand with a slight sneer. Shake the hand of a peasant. She may have looked like royalty just then, but she was still a commoner. "Shake hands?" he scowled. "I'd rather kiss a pig."  
  
"Ok. Go kiss the pig and then come shake my hand." Kagome didn't drop her arm. "Either shake or I might let something slip."  
  
"What if I don't shake?"  
  
"Then how will I know that you'll keep quiet about me?" Kagome frowned.  
  
Inuyasha debated this. "Fine... if you need to shake then shake." He grabbed her hand, shook it once, and made a big deal about letting go.  
  
Kagome smiled anyway. He was just a grump. She liked him. "Well, I'll see you around, Krampus, I have an important dinner date. Maybe I'll see you afterwards."  
  
"God I hope not." He grumbled, watching her leave.  
  
Kagome was just about to walk off down the corridor when she appeared back by the door. "By the way - which way is the hall?"  
  
Inuyasha smirked. This was like directing the new servants... those were fun times. "Take a left, then another left, and then another, and then a right then a left, ok?"  
  
She nodded and was about to set off again.  
  
"Haven't finished yet." He caught her attention again. "Then you go up the stairs, follow the corridor down to the fork way, turn left and then right and then go down the stairs, two flights this time. Then you go down the corridor until you reach the door leading outside. Go around the outside of the palace before going back inside through the third door from the left at the back. You'll then gave to go through the kitchens - so watch out for flying knives - and then go down the second corridor out of the kitchens and at the very end should be another flight of stairs - the servants stairs - there's a difference. You go up those three flights and you should come out in the hall."  
  
A long silence followed as Kagome processed all this information before grinning. "Gotcha! See ya later then!"  
  
"Bye, bye." Inuyasha waved with a smirk as he heard her pootle off with his directions in mind. But she struck him as an air head... so no doubt she'd forget half of them in no time at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Kagome turned at the sound of her name and smiled as she saw the Queen hurrying towards her. "Where are you going, child? The hall is this way! Don't want to be late to meet the Prince do you?"  
  
"Of course not." Kagome said quickly, her heart speeding up a little with butterflies in her stomach.  
  
She kept having her own versions of what the Prince would look like. If Sesshomaru ruled the South... then surely Inuyasha would be similar to him. Big, stoic, ruthless, violent, tricky... Kagome was beginning to scare herself.  
  
"This way." Lady Inu took her arm and began guiding her back the way Kagome had come.  
  
Eventually Kagome was very annoyed to find the hall had only been down one flight of stairs at the end of the corridor where she's bumped into the Hanyou guy. Lady Inu ushered her forward. "Sit anywhere you like - but not there!" she guided Kagome to a particular place. "You can sit here... next to me and beside the Prince."  
  
Was Lady Inu up to something?"  
  
Kagome didn't have much chance to wonder about that as she caught sight of everyone else along the table. They were all Inu-Youkai... not a single human other than herself and the queen were among them. And they were all dressed like fairly important people. Kagome spent a little while examining their faces while the food was set down.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha always comes in last." Lady Inu told Kagome as the young girl gazed hungrily at all the food. "But you should remember a few rules before you meet him."  
  
"Like what?" Kagome dragged her eyes away from the roast pheasant to look up at the Queen.  
  
"You're new here and you're below his station - so when he comes in keep your head bowed and don't look him in the eye, or anywhere above the neck area."  
  
"Ok..." That was a shame, she wanted to see what he looked like.  
  
"Don't speak to him unless you're spoken to." Lady Inu ticked off. "Remember to use the utmost respect when conversing, and when he stops eating you must stop eating as well. And only start when he starts."  
  
"Alright..."  
  
"I think that's all you need to know." Lady Inu smiled.  
  
Kagome wanted to ask something else, but at that moment a voice called out. "Lord Inuyasha."  
  
Everyone rose to their feet including Lady Inu, so Kagome followed suit, careful to keep her eyes fixed on the table. She had to resist the temptation to look up at the Prince. She had to rely on what she saw in the corner of her eyes, but that didn't tell her much other than he was wearing black and red and his hair was long and white. He came to stand beside her and she found herself almost trembling with nerves.  
  
He made a gesture with his hands and they all sat down as servants came forward to pour the drinks. Kagome was feeling a little weak and tingly, and reached out at once for her drink when it was finished pouring and took a sip.  
  
Just then Lady Inu chose that moment to stand and raise her glass. "A toast!"  
  
Kagome hurriedly spat back the water she'd almost swallowed and put the drink down quickly. She felt herself turning red as she just FELT the Prince looking at her. She told herself not to look back at him... not to be ant ruder than she'd already appeared.  
  
"A toast to the security of the South..." Lady Inu went on. "May it remain safe from our enemies... and may it soon bear a new leader."  
  
Even Kagome didn't miss how she emphasised the word 'leader'. Obviously something was going on there... but Kagome intended to find that out later as well. She was just busy waiting for the Prince to start eating so she could as well.  
  
She watched his plate out of the corner of her eye, and also discreetly tipped her head and let her eyes stray to the other end of the table so she might catch a better look at his face. Unfortunately he'd chosen that moment to turn and speak to someone on his other side... letting her only get an eyeful of his hair.  
  
Nice hair at least...  
  
Finally, he picked up his chopsticks and began eating. Kagome sighed happily and began to tuck in as well, deciding to put the Prince out of her mind for a while. Until...  
  
Suddenly he put his sticks down and crossed his arms across his chest. "Sorry, I'm not too hungry anymore. I must be full up on all those WORMS..."  
  
Kagome's elbow slipped off the table and her hand crashed against her plate, making it jump loudly. The rules that Lady Inu had just laid out to her went fleeing out the other ear and she snapped her head up to see the Prince smirking at her.  
  
"You... Lord Inuyasha... you're the Prince..." she whispered.  
  
"Didn't I tell you?" he smirked, obviously enjoying her shock. "Must have slipped my mind."  
  
So many fleeting thoughts shot through her head just then. She'd kicked him... punched him... made him eat worms... then stolen in front of him... and discovered a secret she could blackmail him with.  
  
She'd just ruined all her chances before she'd even known who he was.  
  
Inuyasha smirked again as Kagome went red and looked like she wanted to bang her head against a brick wall. He stood up and bore the glares of the other people at the table who had also had to stop eating their food. "I'll be in my rooms,"  
  
When he was gone a murmur of conversation rose up and Lady Inu looked at Kagome. "So you already met? That's wonderful!"  
  
"No... it's not..." Kagome groaned. She'd screwed up majorly already. That guy hated her guts... there was no way she was going to befriend him or seduce him now... really the only thing she could be sure on was getting Sesshomaru what he wanted...  
  
But even then she didn't know how she was supposed to contact him.  
  
Dammit... she liked Krampus... um - Inuyasha... why did he have to be the Prince?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Stay tuned ^_^ Next Chapter - 'Past Vision' I've got this thing for two word titles... can't change my trend now otherwise something will go wrong. I'm superstitious like that... 


	7. Past Vision

AN: Once again I've gone and updated with multiple chapters. 3 this time! I must apologise. ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Past Vision  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
How on earth was she supposed to work through this one? How was she supposed to make a guy who hated her fall in love with her. Not that she had to make him fall in love with her... but she at least had to befriend him in order to get the Shikon... and if he hated her then it would make the task ten times harder.  
  
Kagome groaned as she rolled over in her large cushiony soft bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering about how on earth she was going to find the Shikon now. Maybe it was in his room... the room directly opposite hers across the corridor.  
  
Either kill him... or get the jewel... kill someone... or steal something...  
  
Kagome didn't really have to think very hard about that choice. Certainly she'd be taking the long way around by going after the Shikon... but at least her conscience would be cleaner. Though she would feel a little bad... the Shikon didn't belong to her... it belonged to Kikyo who had given it to a warlord to give to Inuyasha. But why had she given it to the warlord first?  
  
Too many questions needed answering. She needed to know what the deal was with Kikyo. Everyone loved Kikyo... but around here? The Queen and Sango liked to tiptoe around the subject of the dead Miko... and so far Kagome hadn't had much time to engage Inuyasha in a conversation about Kikyo... not that she ever really would.  
  
Just then her stomach gave a loud growl and she whimpered. "So... hungry..."  
  
That ass of a Prince had deliberately cheated her of her food at the banquet... JUST because she'd stuffed a worm in his mouth - which had been by accident of course!  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
Kagome yelped and sat up bolt upright to fix her gaze on Naraku, sat on the end of the bed. She breathed hard for a moment, trying to get over her initial start. "How did you get in here?"  
  
"I go where you go Kagome," Naraku stood up and looked around the room. "Nice place you've fixed yourself up with..."  
  
"They think I'm a princess..." Kagome ran a hand through her hair and tugged the covers over her body again.  
  
"You're doing better than I thought." Naraku chuckled. "Now please tell me you've met him."  
  
"I met him..." Kagome winced slightly.  
  
"And...?"  
  
Kagome didn't answer, just stared at blanket on her bed. One simple statement ran through her mind... 'He hates me'  
  
"I see..." Naraku obviously didn't need to hear her speak to know what Inuyasha thought of her. "Well, that can always be overcome by... the power of love I suppose... don't make me say that again. After all, he hated Kikyo to begin with as well."  
  
Kagome's curiosity was kindled and she looked up. "How did they meet?"  
  
"Not important." Naraku said with dismissal. "I just came to tell you that you had better get a move on... I don't have forever you know. I have three months at the most to get my revenge on Inuyasha."  
  
"Revenge for what?"  
  
Naraku gave her a dry look and layered the sarcasm on nice and thick. "For stealing my clothes while I was bathing."  
  
"That bastard..." Kagome gasped with conviction. "No, really, why do you want him dead?"  
  
"Some things you don't need to know to do your job right. You don't need to know why I want him dead. Just kill him."  
  
"He's strong..."  
  
"That's why you have to get under his skin..."  
  
"That's even tougher than attacking him straight off." Kagome argued, hugging herself. Besides... she kinda liked him. He may have hated her and all... but she'd seen a human side of him, literally... and she could almost sense that he had a soft side. Anyone with a mother as nice as his couldn't be a complete bastard...  
  
"Just warning you..." Naraku said lightly. "Get moving."  
  
He dissipated into shadows and Kagome sat for a moment thinking about what he said. No... she wasn't going to kill anyone, no matter how tempting it was. But she WOULD learn what was going on with everyone... Why Sango and Lady Inu disliked Kikyo...? how Kikyo had died...? why Kikyo hadn't given Inuyasha the Shikon directly...?  
  
Too many questions... and she had trouble sleeping that night.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm glad you seem to be taking a shine to the Prince, Kagome." Lady Inu remarked as she led the younger girl down the corridor. "Despite the incident at the banquet last night."  
  
"I'm just interested in knowing about him..." Kagome tried to sound casual. "I'd love to get to know him better, even though we didn't quite get off on the right foot."  
  
"He said you stuffed a worm in his mouth."  
  
Kagome tripped over the hem of her kimono and stumbled a bit. "He told you?" That little squealer!  
  
"That you met under the new moon, yes." Lady Inu looked back at her with a smile. "He said he saved a young Princess from a gang of fifteen brutes - who then proceeded to beat him senseless and took advantage of his weakened state."  
  
"Um..." That didn't quite match Kagome's version of events. "Actually there were more like five big brutes... and I only attacked him in self-defence - he tried to strangle me!"  
  
"He probably just thought you were Kikyo." The older woman shrugged and she entered the throne room and headed for her throne.  
  
"He would have strangled Kikyo?" Kagome sounded a little worried.  
  
"Possibly... they didn't part on good terms I hear." Lady Inu swept straight past her throne and stopped to look out through a large set of bay windows.  
  
Kagome followed her and looked down to the grounds before the palace. She blinked in surprise to see several guards practising their fighting skills against one another with practice sword. It took her a moment to pick out Inuyasha from the others. He was practising archery.  
  
"What are they all doing?" Kagome asked.  
  
"Preparing for war against the North." Lady Inu raised her chin defiantly. "But we'll lose if it ever comes to that..."  
  
"But they look pretty good..." Very fast actually... better than any human warriors she'd seen.  
  
"The North have more warriors, and they're even better. They've been trained their whole lives by Sesshomaru." Lady Inu sighed. "He wants nothing more than to kill his own brother..."  
  
"And his brother is...?" Kagome asked innocently.  
  
"Inuyasha, of course." Lady Inu glanced at her. "Can't you tell?"  
  
"But..." Kagome quickly looked back down at Inuyasha, trying to pick out the resemblance. There wasn't much... "Does that mean Sesshomaru is your son too?"  
  
"No, they only share their father."  
  
"And where's he?"  
  
"He disappeared some six months back. He left the kingdom to Inuyasha... but Sesshomaru wants the South for the resources and claims that he's the heir." Lady Inu moved to sit down in her throne while Kagome stayed watching the scene below. "Inuyasha won't take the throne... not while he thinks his father is alive."  
  
"Isn't he?"  
  
"It's safe to say he's dead." Lady Inu sounded very tired all of a sudden as she rubbed her temples. "He went to pick up an item that had once belonged to Kikyo from a warlord in Inaki... he never came back."  
  
"What?!" Kagome jumped around. "Inuyasha's father picked up the Shikon no Tama?"  
  
"Yes..." Lady Inu looked at her with surprise. "How did you know that?"  
  
"Um..." Kagome didn't want to explain that away just yet (in other words she couldn't think of an excuse). "So - tell me about Kikyo. How did she know Inuyasha?"  
  
"She arrived here a long time ago with the Shikon in her possession." Lady Inu scowled slightly. "I always thought she was odd... the ONE girl who couldn't possibly suit Inuyasha... but he chose her above all the others I set before him."  
  
"He chose her? As in marriage?" Kagome watched as Inuyasha let lose an arrow, hitting the target in the outer rings. He didn't look like a pro at archery...  
  
"Yes... but like I said. Kikyo was a strange girl. She had her ideals, and she would put them before anything else. If anyone or anything got in the way of her beliefs... she wouldn't hesitate to eliminate it."  
  
"So what happened?" Kagome tried hard not to giggle when Inuyasha let loose another arrow, and barely avoided hitting one of the sheep that was milling around eating grass. If he kept it up they would be having mutton that night...  
  
"Inuyasha got in the way of her ideals."  
  
Kagome looked back at Lady Inu with a frown. "What do you mean?" she hoped that wasn't as bad as it sounded.  
  
"She was fooled by someone... or something... Sesshomaru maybe. But she got it stuck in her head that Inuyasha was fooling her - that he wasn't being true to her. She made an unprovoked attack on the palace... and she was killed... but not before she took half this throne room with her."  
  
Kagome looked around. "She blew it up?"  
  
"In a way..."  
  
"What happened to Inuyasha?" Kagome asked hesitantly.  
  
"He wouldn't talk about it. He acted as if nothing had transpired... but you could see she hurt him deeply." Lady Inu sighed. "I TOLD him that would happen, but did he listen? No! Because mothers never know what they're talking about do they?" Kagome watched the woman grumble for a moment before Lady Inu finally let it go. "Then we learned that Kikyo had left a gift for Inuyasha with a warlord in Inaki - the Shikon jewel. His father went to fetch it, but like I said, he never came back."  
  
Kagome nodded gravely. "So is that why Sango and everyone else is edgy around me?"  
  
"They think you could be Kikyo." Lady Inu smiled however. "But it's clear you are not her. For a start - you smile!"  
  
Kagome smiled.  
  
"But... I would expect because of your relation to Kikyo, and your looks, Inuyasha will want to push you away." Lady Inu warned. "But that's just him. You'd have to forgive him for that."  
  
"I will..." Kagome said quickly. "It's not like I particularly like Kikyo either."  
  
"Then you two have more in common than Kikyo ever did with Inuyasha." Lady Inu stood and pointed behind her. "And if you could - could you please persuade him at some point to get to know that sword, Tessaiga, better?"  
  
"Oh... ok..." Kagome nodded.  
  
The doors to the throne room suddenly opened and two attendants looked in. "Your majesty - I think you may need to come and take a look at something."  
  
Lady Inu sighed and smiled at Kagome. "Be right back, dear."  
  
"Ok..." Kagome watched her leave until she was alone again. She went back to the window and looked down outside again. Inuyasha wasn't there any more, but she took her time surveying the land again. It must have been a really pleasant place to live... if it hadn't been under threat of war. And it wasn't just the North either that was threatening the land... it was Kouga's people too.  
  
For a moment Kagome let herself sober at the thought of the young wolf demon. But only for a moment, before she quickly buckled it up and said loudly to herself. "I hate him!"  
  
"That's ok, cause I hate you too."  
  
Kagome spun around to see Inuyasha striding through the doors towards her.  
  
"I didn't mean you!" She said quickly, wanting to slap herself for talking to herself.  
  
"Then you must have meant Kouga." He smirked, dumping some of his training gear in the corner of the room.  
  
"How... how did you know-"  
  
"Oh it's obvious with all you damsels in love and distress." He rolled his eyes as he headed towards the throne. He spoke again, feigning a high feminine voice. "Oh I love that buff wolf boy - no I hate that asshole - no I love him - I hate him. Right?"  
  
Kagome blushed heavily. "I don't sound like that! You're so rude!"  
  
"I am rude because I am talking to a peasant." Spitting the P word again, he flopped down into the throne and sighed. "Oh yeah... I could get used to this..."  
  
Kagome edged towards him. "You gonna be King soon?"  
  
He snorted. "Hell no... this is just a comfy chair."  
  
"You're mom wants you to take it for good." Kagome commented. "Why not take it?"  
  
"Cause Pops is still alive." Inuyasha glowered straight ahead. He didn't like how his mother was sharing so much personal information to this girl.  
  
"So?" Kagome stared at him. "If I were you I'd probably jump in that chair the minute he left the room."  
  
"Well that's you. Hope you're so quick to jump into your grandmother's grave." Inuyasha slapped the armrests before jumping down out of the seat and moving towards the wall to pluck an old rusty sword down from two pegs.  
  
"Tessaiga?" Kagome said, proud to show off her knowledge.  
  
"Daddy's magic sword." Inuyasha flipped it in his hand and banged the blade against the wall, making it shudder. He shrugged at it.  
  
"Hey - careful you don't break that thing." Kagome warned. "It's old."  
  
She'd come too close up behind him and suddenly he swung around and placed the tip against her throat, making her freeze in her tracks. He smirked at her expression. "Old... but still strong and sharp..."  
  
Kagome gulped audibly, leaning back a little.  
  
"You look just like her, you know." He walked forward, quickly making Kagome walk backward unless she wanted her throat pierced. "It would be so satisfying to kill you... it would be just like killing Kikyo myself."  
  
"That's nice..." Kagome whispered. "Do you really hate her that much?"  
  
"Mm..." he hummed with a faint smile. "With all my heart. More's the pity that I didn't get the chance to kill her myself. You know... she died in this room."  
  
"I know..."  
  
"And I watched her..." Inuyasha sneered. "Talk about pleasure overload."  
  
Suddenly Kagome seemed to seize up and her eyes glazed over. Inuyasha frowned and quickly pulled the sword back as she dropped bonelessly to the ground. "Hey... girl... what's the matter with you?"  
  
Kagome didn't answer. She could hear him, but she couldn't see him any more. Inuyasha saw her sit up suddenly and look around with a bewildered expression. "Oh god..." she muttered.  
  
Inuyasha looked around, trying to see what she was looking at... but all he saw was the empty throne room. "What?"  
  
However, Kagome was seeing something very different. The room was in chaos and everything was in black and white. Guards rushed here and there, yelling and shouting as parts of the ceiling rained down around her. But what was weird was that she couldn't hear the chaos... but she could still hear Inuyasha's voice.  
  
That's when Kagome saw her...  
  
Kikyo, standing in the centre of the throne room as it crumbled around her and people raced for the exits while others went to rescue people who had been injured by debris. Kikyo was shouting something while being shrouded in the light of her own power. A wind seemed to be hurtling around the room, knocking over ornaments, tables and whipping everyone's hair this way and that. Kagome sat on the floor in the middle of it all and didn't feel a thing. She was just an onlooker.  
  
Then there was Inuyasha... She saw him trapped beneath a slab of ceiling, but he seemed to pay no heed to this as he yelled out to Kikyo, his anguish plain on his face. He was scared... she could see that much... but he held his hand out to Kikyo and yelled some more things that Kagome couldn't hear. It was so eerily quiet that it disturbed her.  
  
"Kagome?" She heard Inuyasha's questioning voice somewhere close beside her, but when she looked around she couldn't see him. The only Inuyasha she could see was the one trapped and wounded twenty metres away.  
  
Suddenly explosive light engulfed Kikyo, before engulfing the entire room. Everything went white for a moment before it all snapped back into colour and Kagome found herself looking at an empty room again, with Inuyasha hovering close beside her.  
  
"What's the matter with you?" Inuyasha yanked her to her feet the moment she focused her eyes on him.  
  
"I just..." she stumbled slightly, feeling her knees buckle. "I just saw her death..."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha scowled angrily at her. "What just happened with you?"  
  
"I just had a blast from the past..." Kagome frowned at that before feeling weariness creeping over her. That flash of a vision had sapped her strength away and she slumped against Inuyasha in a dead faint.  
  
Inuyasha held her for a moment, wondering what the heck to do with her before dropping her promptly and walking to set Tessaiga back on its stand. He'd go get Sango and let her deal with the girl. They were both female, and both human... Sango would understand her better.  
  
He had training to get back to anyway.  
  
Inuyasha grabbed his gear and walked back to the door, looking back with a frown at the unconscious girl. With a sigh he left the throne room and walked down the corridor. When he reached the end he spotted Sango walking away from him down another hall and quickly called out to her. "Sango - that Princess woman's fainted - she's in the throne room."  
  
Sango turned at once and set down the tray of food that she'd been carrying. She hurried past him, only to be stopped as his hand shot out and grabbed her shoulder. She looked back at him quizzically. "What?"  
  
"Take it easy on her, yeah?" he released her shoulder. "She's not Kikyo."  
  
Sango stared at him a moment before nodding and running off to go help her.  
  
Inuyasha hefted his bow over his shoulder and carried on towards the palace entrance to go practise his archery. It was his weak point... and he needed to work at it if he had any chance of defeating Sesshomaru in battle.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next Chapter - 'Sleeping Arrangements' Click the arrow ^_^ 


	8. Sleeping Arrangements

AN: Yep, second chapter of this update ^_^ Also known as chapter eight. Don't worry, I'm still working on updating all the other fics, but right now I've written a lot for this one so I'm updating more quickly. I don't know why I wrote more though...  
  
Anyway - Presenting chapter 8!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Sleeping Arrangements  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome groaned as she came round. Her head hurt and there was something wet and sloppy against her cheek. She turned her head slightly and came nose to nose with a big black dog. She stared for a moment before the dog suddenly began licking her face all over with it's huge WET tongue.  
  
"Aw - yuck!" Kagome sat up straight away and wiped at her face. "Dog breath... ew..."  
  
"Glad to see you're awake." Sango smiled as she came over with a bowl of stew. "You hungry?"  
  
"Um..." the bowl was set down before her, but before she even had a chance to sniff it, the dog bent his head and began slurping it up. "Actually, I'm not too hungry."  
  
"Kiroi! Go chase Kirara!" Sango pushed the dog's head away. "Sorry - you can have it now."  
  
Now drool was mixed in with the stew... Funnily enough, Kagome still wasn't hungry. "No thanks..."  
  
"Are you ok? What happened?" Sango asked heedlessly. "Inuyasha said you just fainted. He was worried about you."  
  
"He was?"  
  
"Well... in his own way..." Sango waved a hand vaguely. "He told me to take it easy on you. And he checked by a couple of minutes ago to see if you were awake. Don't really expect him to do that often."  
  
Kagome tuned out as she remembered what she'd seen... had she just envisioned Kikyo's death?  
  
"So what happened to you? He said you went on a trip before you passed out." Sango sat down on the bed mat beside her.  
  
Kagome looked around and realised she was in Sango's personal quarters. "I saw Kikyo dying..."  
  
Sango stilled and looked a little surprised. "Wow... you did? What was it like?"  
  
"Everything was in black and white... I couldn't hear what was going on... but the place was falling down and Kikyo was causing it... Inuyasha was yelling something to her and then everything just whited out."  
  
"That's... that's pretty damn accurate - how did you do that?" Sango stared at her.  
  
"I don't know... I was just standing there being threatened by Lord Inuyasha and then suddenly there was a flash... and all I could see was the past?" Kagome shook her head. "That sounds so weird..."  
  
"But that's just what happened when Kikyo died." Sango shifted. "Are you some kind of psychic? Can you see into the past like that a lot?"  
  
"Not... really..." Kagome ran a hand through her hair. "That was a one time thing, I hope."  
  
"Sounds creepy..."  
  
Just then Kagome realised something. "Where's Fushi?"  
  
"Oh - Inuyasha picked him up a few minutes ago. He's babysitting for me."  
  
Kagome winced. "You sure that's wise... Inuyasha doesn't strike me as the responsible father type."  
  
"You'd think that wouldn't you, but no. He quite likes Fushi actually." Sango said as Kiroi, the big black dog, tried to slobber on her shoulder, she pushed him away. "Fushi's safe with Inuyasha. He's the one guy I can depend on."  
  
"What about Fushi's dad?" Kagome asked hesitantly. She remember the man Sango had been arguing with when she'd first arrived here.  
  
"He's not around anymore." Sango said evenly, rubbing her pet's ears. "He doesn't live on the island."  
  
"So who was that man that you beat up when I-"  
  
"Oh him? Just the babysitter." Sango rolled her eyes. "Won't use that moron again, I can tell you. He may have been human but he got sent back to the mainland by Lady Inu this morning."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome nodded. "So is Fushi's father human too?"  
  
Sango nodded with a slight smile. "Miroku... he left a year ago... hasn't returned either. I don't think he even knows about Fushi..."  
  
Kagome frowned slightly. "Why don't you go look for him?"  
  
"I can't leave the queen unattended." Sango shook her head. "Besides... it's not like it would be a walk along the beach to find him quickly. I doubt he's remembered me after all this time... I doubt he's been faithful."  
  
"Were you married?"  
  
"No..." Sango gave a humourless laugh. "I suppose he has at least half a dozen other women like me trailed along in his wake. I don't need guys like him anyway..."  
  
Kagome didn't say anything more. It seemed like a sensitive subject for the girl... she didn't want to push her luck.  
  
Sango stood with a sigh. "I have to go check on the Queen now. Will you be ok?"  
  
"Sure." Kagome smiled. "I think I'll just mosey on down to my room now, thanks."  
  
Sango paused at the door and gave Kagome a strange look. "Are you sure you're a princess... you don't talk like one..."  
  
"Um... pretty sure..." Kagome said slowly. "I just knew a lot of village people when I was young, I must have picked up the bad accent there."  
  
"I don't know... you seem humble for a Princess." Sango smiled.  
  
"Sorry..."  
  
"No - it's a nice change." Sango grinned. "I get tired of the stuck up cows from the mainland that come to court Inuyasha. It's nice Lady Inu found a half decent one like you."  
  
She left before she had a chance to see Kagome blush. The thought of Kagome coming to court Inuyasha was not far off...  
  
Kagome left Sango's quarters then to head back to her own rooms - only getting lost the one time. But she did get herself turned around a little on the way to the royal rooms. She opened the door to her room, before realising it looked different. Perhaps the Inu hanyou sitting on the bed gave it away... but she quickly realised she'd just found the wrong bedroom.  
  
"Oh - sorry!" She said quickly, upon seeing Inuyasha look up from where he was bouncing Fushi on his knee."  
  
"Hey - are you ok, girl?" he asked suddenly before she could leave.  
  
Kagome stopped and turned with a small smile. "Yeah, thanks."  
  
"I hope I didn't terrify you into shock." He smirked before looking serious. "Did I?"  
  
Kagome smiled. "No... I just... it was nothing. Don't worry about it."  
  
"Who said anything about being worried?" he said shortly.  
  
Fushi gave a baby laugh from his position on Inuyasha's knee. Kagome flicked her gaze to the child and moved over toward the bed, missing the look that Inuyasha gave her. "You're good with children."  
  
Inuyasha frowned slightly. "I'm just looking after him. Big deal."  
  
"That's nice of you..." Kagome smiled and sat down beside him without invitation. "Sango's a busy girl. She needs all the help she can get. And being the Prince... I wouldn't expect you'd feel obliged to help her."  
  
"Sango works for my ma. And ma treats her like another daughter... who works for her... but anyway, if she's like my sister then this little guy is like my nephew." Inuyasha shrugged. "I've known her my entire life. Of course I'd help her."  
  
Kagome watched him while his attention remained fixed on the baby. "You're not as tough as you make yourself out to be are you?"  
  
"Of course not..."  
  
Kagome smiled.  
  
"I'm tougher." Inuyasha glared at her briefly. "What are you doing in here anyway?"  
  
"You invited me in here?" Kagome guessed.  
  
"Bull. You invited yourself." He snapped.  
  
Kagome played with the thought of leaving before she remembered something she wanted to ask. Perhaps she'd get slugged for it... but she had to try. "Do you know what the Shikon no Tama is?"  
  
Inuyasha stiffened slightly and Fushi squirmed restlessly. "Why?"  
  
"I'm... I'm looking for it." Kagome said slowly. "It belonged to Kikyo... and I... I need to return it to our family."  
  
A complete lie, but she wasn't about to tell him that she needed to use to hide from a demon that wanted her to kill him. That wouldn't sit well with him... probably...  
  
"It belongs to me." Inuyasha said bluntly.  
  
"No, it belongs to me." Kagome said. "I'm Kikyo's cousin - her blood relative."  
  
"So?" Inuyasha glared at her. "She was going to give it to me."  
  
"Going to?" Kagome picked up on what he'd said.  
  
"She didn't get it to me." Inuyasha frowned slightly as Fushi began to cry, obviously sensing Inuyasha's stiffness. "She gave it to a warlord to give to me because she couldn't get it to me."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed heavily. "There was another warlord that Kikyo met some time after she met me. He fell in love with her and wanted to marry her. As part of the agreement she would hand the Shikon no Tama to him as a wedding present."  
  
Kagome listened intently. Since when had Kikyo been engaged to a warlord?  
  
"Kikyo didn't want to marry him... but since the lord prevented her from coming to see me, she gave the Shikon to the warlord of Inaki - the place she was staying at. She intended for me to go and get it later if I couldn't have her."  
  
He paused and Kagome waited for a him to go on... hoped he would go on.  
  
"The warlord found out what she'd done and cast her away. He only wanted the jewel and so he came to the island thinking that I had it. He arrived, he attacked us... I killed him."  
  
"And then what happened?"  
  
"Kikyo's mind had been tricked by the warlord. She arrived some time later with some stupid beliefs that I'd fooled her and played with her heart - saying that I had used her to get the Shikon and she wanted it back. When she found out that I'd killed the Warlord, she went psycho on us all and started attacking us."  
  
"Wow... that doesn't sound like Kikyo."  
  
"She attacked everyone. Me... my mother, my father, the guards... and Sango. And Sango was heavily pregnant at the time." Inuyasha sighed. "So I attacked Kikyo to defend everyone... and she just got madder at me, screaming that I had used her. Then she literally blew everything up."  
  
That fit the scene Kagome had seen in her vision. "Who was the warlord?"  
  
"Naraku."  
  
Kagome froze so suddenly, and her heart skipped a beat. Suddenly Naraku's motives all fell into place.  
  
"Her powers must have overwhelmed her... she couldn't handle them and she lost control." Inuyasha continued. "She was stuck on her own beliefs... stupid girl..."  
  
Kagome was quiet, trying to handle what she'd just learned. Who should she trust? Naraku or Inuyasha...?  
  
The answer to that wasn't a hard decision either.  
  
Naraku just wanted petty revenge for some past misunderstanding.  
  
Suddenly Inuyasha sat up. "I can't believe I just told you all that."  
  
"Maybe you just feel comfortable around me?" Kagome tried to smile, but it was somewhat forced and false. She was still trying to picture how it had all happened. "Anyway... if you had the Shikon would you give it to me?"  
  
"It's with my father... and even if I had it I wouldn't give it to you on a whim." He gave her a hard look. "Even though it's of no use to me..."  
  
"Never mind then..." Kagome sighed, feeling a little put out. First she'd have to find Inuyasha's father before she ever found the Shikon no Tama... not an easy task by the sound of it. "Well, I'm off the bed. And I think Fushi needs to sleep to."  
  
"Yeah, I'm taking him back to Sango anyway." Inuyasha stood up along with Kagome and moved to the door. "Night, Kagome."  
  
Kagome stopped short, and quickly glanced over her shoulder as Inuyasha moved away down the corridor with the baby dozing lightly against his chest. He'd just used her name for the first time that she'd noticed. And he'd even offered a farewell. Kagome shook her head slightly... perhaps she'd imagined it.  
  
She was about to go into her room before she spared another look at Inuyasha. He really was good with children, wasn't he?  
  
(tell that to Shippo...)  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It must have been heading towards midnight when Kagome sensed, rather than felt, something within her room. She knew who it was without having to see him.  
  
"Eye spy, with my little eye, something beginning with big, ugly, smelly, baboon." She told the shadows.  
  
"Frankly, Baby, I'm hurt." He stepped out of the shadows but Kagome refused to look at him.  
  
"You were the one who caused all this mess." Kagome said slowly. "You tricked Kikyo and then you wanted Inuyasha dead just because he might have the Shikon."  
  
"Perceptive girl." Naraku commented quietly.  
  
"Pathetic man." Kagome countered and sat up. "You want me to kill him because of a little feud."  
  
"He killed me, Kagome. THAT'S why I want revenge. That's why you are going to kill him in order to get your soul back." he smirked, "I heard you had a little flash of the past this morning, Baby."  
  
Kagome shot him a sharp look, but didn't say anything.  
  
"You're more like Kikyo than you like to admit." He laughed softly. "I suppose hanging around her death place must have allowed you to pick up some of her vibes... some of her power. I expect you to have more of them later."  
  
"Is that why you chose me to do your work?" Kagome asked suddenly. "Because I can see things that have happened in the past?"  
  
"Possibly... or maybe I just chose you because you were there, you were naïve and you were stupid." Naraku stepped back into the shadows. "Or maybe I just used you because you're her cousin. The next best thing beside Kikyo herself..."  
  
Naraku was gone before she could say anything else. She sat upright, thinking for a while before finally falling back down on her soft mattress and pulling the covers over her head.  
  
It wasn't long before she fell asleep. And it wasn't long after that, that another presence entered her room.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha stirred restlessly in his bed and pushed the covers off. It seemed unbearably hot that night... but that's what he got for living on the more tropical side of the island.  
  
He yawned widely, and stretched for a few seconds before turning to look out the window. The moon was still up there and it was still dark... morning wasn't coming any time soon. With a groan he flopped back down on the bed and covered his head with the pillow.  
  
Just then, the discreet sound of the door sliding open caused his ears to prick up under the pillow. He listened intently, until he heard the sound of heavy breathing enter the room, and something with clawed feet stepped its way towards his bed. Inuyasha pretended to be asleep and waited...  
  
Something wet and slimy and cold touched his bare calf and he jumped with a yelp, throwing his pillow off his head and sitting up like a bolt.  
  
"Kiroi!" he yelled when he saw the big black dog beside his bed, licking his foot. "Get out of my room you mangy mutt!  
  
He picked up his slipper from the floor beside the bed and threw it at the dog, making him skitter out of the room again. With a growl he threw himself back down onto the bed and thumped the mattress. "Stupid dog... get your own room..."  
  
Inuyasha sighed and closed his eyes, desperately trying to clear his mind and fall asleep. But it was no use. He was disturbed by the amount of information he'd told Kagome earlier that evening. He'd told her things he hadn't even felt confident enough to share with his mother or even Sango...  
  
He didn't know why... but he felt he could trust her.  
  
It was a naïve and stupid feeling. He couldn't and shouldn't trust anyone at all. Not right now. He had threats from Sesshomaru and Kouga... and this girl was probably the one person he should never trust. She was Kikyo's cousin... and she was involved with Kouga. Or at least HAD been involved with him...  
  
Obviously the girl had something wrong with her eyes if she'd managed to fall for that blockhead.  
  
The smell of smoke tickled his nose and he sneezed slightly before settling down again. Only then did he realise that he shouldn't have been smelling smoke...  
  
He shot out of bed at once and ran to the door, following the trail of smoke.  
  
It was coming from Kagome's room.  
  
At once he ran forward and yanked the door open, only to have flames burst into life and sweep out at him. He raised his arms to shield himself and tried to see past it all to the bed. "Kagome?!"  
  
She wasn't crying out or struggling... maybe she was still asleep. He coughed as the smoke invaded his lungs and tried again. "Kagome!!"  
  
She didn't respond and if he didn't do something the whole palace would burn down. The majority of the building was made of wood and stone... but mostly wood. It would burn to the ground in a matter of minutes if he didn't stop it.  
  
But first things were first... he had to save the girl before she perished in the flames or inhaled too much smoke. So without thinking too much about it, he charged through the flames and didn't stop till he reached the bed - practically the only part of the room that wasn't alight.  
  
He crouched beside Kagome and shook her shoulder. "Hey! Wake up! Your room's on fire!"  
  
She didn't wake up... striking a small note of fear inside of him. What if she'd suffocated. He grabbed her at once and tossed her over his shoulder, noticing how limp she was. He turned again and quickly charged for the door again.  
  
Once he was through it he slammed the door shut and dumped Kagome on the ground. His next stop was his mother's room. She woke up the minute he opened the door. "Quick - get the servants and some water - Kagome's rooms lit up!"  
  
His mother took a moment to process what he'd said before getting out of bed and dashing down the hall to get help. Inuyasha went back to Kagome and dragged her further away from the burning room.  
  
Once he was a satisfactory distance away he dropped down beside her and placed a hand over her mouth and nose to check for air. It wasn't coming.  
  
"Come on stubborn cow..." he sat her up by the shoulders and shook her hard, trying to shake her awake (obviously doesn't know CPR). "Come on!"  
  
Amazingly, the jolt he'd given her was enough to get her breathing again. She began coughing and wheezing at once, grabbing a fist full of his Kimono to cling to while she coughed the smoke out of her lungs. Inuyasha steadied her shoulders hesitantly while she tried to get her coughing under control.  
  
"What..." she broke off in another series of coughs... "What happened?"  
  
"Your room was on fire." Inuyasha frowned at her. "You ok?"  
  
Kagome nodded, but continued to cough, her eyes watering from the effort. Smoke smudges covered her clothes and face, and her hair smelt strongly of smoggy smoke. "I'll be ok..." she managed eventually. "Thanks."  
  
"Don't worry about it..." he looked up as servants arrived carrying pales of water and charged into Kagome's room, splashing the contents here and there. Kagome refused to let go of Inuyasha's shirt the entire time, still struggling to breathe.  
  
A few moments later Lady Inu arrived back with Sango trailing along behind her, looking half asleep. "Is everything ok?" the older woman asked when she pushed her way through the Inu Youkai to look at the room. "Is it out? - Give me that - if you want something done right you have to do it yourself!"  
  
"Your mom's tough for a human..." Kagome whispered to Inuyasha. He just nodded.  
  
"Are you ok, Kagome?" Sango slurred as she crouched down beside them. "God you're a mess... you better come take a bath now..."  
  
"Please." Inuyasha pried Kagome's hands off his shirt to hand her to Sango. "She's gonna make me sneeze in a minute."  
  
Kagome gave him a light push as she began coughing again. Unfortunately he wasn't as easy to push as when he was human, so she didn't accomplish much. He smirked as Sango guided her away down the hall to get cleaned up. Someone tapped him on the shoulder and he turned to see his mother holding up a crisp bundle of cloth.  
  
"What's that?" he asked.  
  
"Sniff."  
  
He did, and immediately drew back. "Sake? Was Kagome drinking?"  
  
"No... I think someone went into the room, set alight to this alcohol and then left the room to burn down." His mother said sternly. "Someone tried to kill Kagome."  
  
Kagome frowned at her. "That's a little far-fetched... who would try something stupid like that?"  
  
His mother looked back at the servants and guards who were still busily dealing with the smouldering room. She beckoned him away from them and turned her back to them. "You know what I've been saying lately..." she whispered. "Sesshomaru must have spies planted in this palace... I reckon one of them did it."  
  
Inuyasha sighed deeply. She was right of course. Sesshomaru would have spies planted in this palace, just as Lady Inu had a few planted in Sesshomaru's kingdom.  
  
"But the main question now is where is Kagome going to sleep?" Lady Inu looked back at the damage.  
  
Inuyasha shrugged. "She can take one of the other royal rooms and-"  
  
"Nope. They're being renovated. She can't stay in those." Lady Inu pretended to look thoughtful. "Where could she stay...?"  
  
"Sango has a spare-"  
  
"I know!" Lady Inu interrupted him quickly. "She can stay in your room!"  
  
"What?!" he barked at her. "Are you crazy?!"  
  
"Possibly." She shrugged easily. "She's a Princess Inuyasha, she's not fit to sleep in servants quarters. She's had a scare no doubt... poor girl probably needs someone big and dashing to protect her."  
  
Inuyasha's protest was on the tip of his tongue. She wasn't a princess - she was a peasant! She could sleep in the stable for all she was worth - NOT in his room! "Ma - there is no way that she is sleeping-"  
  
"Have a heart Inuyasha. I'm not asking you to sleep with her." His mother patted his arm. "Just let her sleep in your room until I can sort the other rooms." And hopefully they would give into their throbbing animal desires during some point in the night and in the morning - ta dah!  
  
A suspicious thought crossed Inuyasha's mind. "Since when were these rooms being renovated."  
  
"Since... er... yesterday. Yes." His mother nodded quickly.  
  
Inuyasha folded his arms. "Fine. She can have my room. She can have my bed too while she's at it. I'm not sleeping in there tonight anyway."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Can't sleep, too bad." He started walking away. "I guess she'll be pleased to have the room to herself."  
  
"But Inuyasha-"  
  
"No - I don't want to hear it!"  
  
"But you have to get dressed first!" His mother called after him. "Unless you plan to walk around in your night clothes?"  
  
He paused, looked down, before pivoting and stomping past his mother to go back into his room, slamming the door behind him. His mother smiled faintly. Well, at least she'd managed to get Kagome into his room at night... now all she had to do was get him in there as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Here's a cup of water. Goodnight Kagome!" Lady Inu waved cheerfully as she shut the door to Inuyasha's bedroom behind her. Kagome surveyed the room carefully in the darkness, trying to find her bed mat.  
  
There was no second bed after all... and since she certainly wasn't sleeping on the floor, she moved to the bed and sat down on the edge. Wasn't Inuyasha going to be sleeping here as well? It didn't look like that was the case...  
  
Hesitantly she lay down and pulled the cover over her body, settling down slowly. She sighed and breathed in deeply... taking in Inuyasha's smell. It seemed to surround her there... She'd often noticed that he smelled VERY nice when she'd had the opportunity to get close enough to him. He sort of smelled like a cross between fresh washing, herb oils... soap... and some distinct musky personal scent.  
  
In his bed the smell was more concentrated... and strangely she felt safe just where she was. Despite her earlier scare, she found it easy to fall back to sleep... almost as if he was holding her.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter - 'Full Moon' 


	9. Full Moon

AN: Chapter Nine! 3rd chapter in one update! Now that's all the chapters out, I'm still writing chapter ten and chapter 15 of 28 Days. Should be out soon, but probably not tonight.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Full Moon  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Why did the advisors always seem to think it necessary that Inuyasha needed to be informed about all the Kingdom crap? That was his mother's job.  
  
"Sesshomaru continues to threaten us - my lord." One advisor warned as he scuttled after Inuyasha with his friend. "He says that if you do not take the throne in three months then he will take away your options."  
  
"That's just an excuse. Even if I did take the throne he would still attack with a new excuse saying that I'd stolen his throne or whatever..." he glared at the two men behind him. "Don't you have tales to be telling to the Queen - stop harassing me!"  
  
"Lord - if you continue to ignore the situation then we'll all suffer the consequences." The advisor bowed humbly. "Your mother cannot deal with this - she is only human!"  
  
"What?" Inuyasha stopped short, making the two men almost collide with him.  
  
"Um... she's female?" the advisor quickly corrected his mistake. "She is female and weaker than you..."  
  
Inuyasha was silent for a moment before he simply continued walking towards his room. The advisors finally decided it was best to just leave him be. They didn't want to press their luck and send their heads rolling by annoying him further.  
  
He arrived at his room cautiously, and opened the door slowly to make sure Kagome was up and somewhere else. She was gone. With a sigh of relief he entered his room, half feeling that it didn't belong to him anymore. Kagome had been spending the last few nights in the room... Inuyasha had been avoiding her all together. The only time he actually spent in his room anymore was to get his clothes.  
  
He had a feeling that this was just like practise for marriage...  
  
And just like usual, the bed was neat and tidy, the floor was clear of its usual clutter and the windows were open slightly, letting in the gentle sea breeze from outside. Inuyasha stomped over and shut the windows at once, annoyed that she'd been taking liberties with his room. He made sure he knocked open his drawers to spread clothes over the floor again (didn't matter that they were clean) and messed up the bed.  
  
Yep... that was more like it...  
  
Just by lifting the covers though, he caught a strong whiff of Kagome's scent and paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. He leaned down with a frown, taking in more of the scent with a frown. The whole bed now smelled of Kagome... it nearly covered his own smell. She smelled nice... like Lavender... it was nice to have his bed smell like Lavender...  
  
Kagome chose that moment to enter and stopped dead when she saw Inuyasha with his face pressed against the mattress. "Um... hi...?"  
  
He stood up straight away and stared at her.  
  
"What were you just...?"  
  
"Nothing!" he snapped. "I often smell my mattress. What's it to you?"  
  
"It's nothing to me... I just..." she trailed off as Inuyasha blew past her and out of the room, leaving her alone. She stood, a little too stunned to move before realising the room was a mess again. "I only left it five minutes ago!"  
  
With an irritated growl she busied herself around the room, picking up his clothes and putting them away. She arranged the bed and opened the windows again... but stopped as she looked down to the scene below. From her vantage point she could see Inuyasha leaving the palace down the steps, through the gates and was heading towards the lake.  
  
"Gonna drown yourself?" Kagome asked him quietly, not that he would hear her or anything.  
  
He stomped around the edge of the lake before dropping down beneath the shade of an old weeping willow tree that hung over the edge of the lake. He leaned back against the trunk and stayed there.  
  
Kagome watched him for a little while before bringing her thumb and forefinger up and pretended to squish him between them. He looked just like an ant from where she was stood. An unhappy little ant...  
  
She dropped her hand and watched him for a while. He seemed to be thinking deeply... obviously he wanted company! So Kagome took it upon herself to go down there and cheer him up. Anyway... she was eager to find out what was on his mind.  
  
Kagome followed his path through the palace and out of main gates into the grassy plateau area with the two lakes. She walked quickly and nervously - she'd never been this far out of the palace before. It was a nice day... the sun was shining, the birds were singing loudly (she could hear them all the way from the forest) and the kids were out playing on the grass. As she drew closer to the willow tree she saw Inuyasha look up and spot her coming. But he didn't move to leave...  
  
"Morning." Kagome said as if it was the first greeting they'd had that day. "Nice day isn't it?"  
  
Inuyasha glared at her a moment before looking away pointedly. Kagome stood for a moment before realising he wasn't going to do much else, and so sat down a short distance from him. He'd picked out a good spot here. It was a lovely view of the land.  
  
"You seem down," Kagome stated, trying to get the ball rolling. "Is something bothering you?"  
  
"No." Inuyasha remarked guardedly. "Everything's fine."  
  
"Yeah... I suppose the threat of war is what you'd call 'fine'." Kagome shrugged. "Right?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed loudly, hoping she'd take the hint and leave... no such luck.  
  
"I'd be scared too, I guess, if I was in the same position as you." Kagome went on. "I mean, having your father die and then suddenly there's all these enemies hanging around - your own brother being one of them! And you're so young - if I were you I would have freaked out and gone nuts ages ago-"  
  
"I'm not scared, my father's not dead and it's not my problem." Inuyasha replied curtly. "And I ain't going nuts either..."  
  
A soft laugh escaped Kagome and he shot her a glare. "What?"  
  
"You said 'ain't'." she snickered. "Does that mean you're a fake Prince too?"  
  
"Shut up..." he grouched, leaning his head back against the trunk of the willow.  
  
"You know..." Kagome subdued her giggles. "Even if your father is alive... he's not here."  
  
"Duh..."  
  
"Well if he's not here than how can he protect his Kingdom from his eldest son and the wolf Youkai?" Kagome said logically, watching the surface of the lake. "It's probably not his fault that he can't be here... but right now he's about as useful as a... a steak and kidney pie..."  
  
"Careful - you're talking about my dad there..."  
  
"The point is - if he can't protect the Kingdom right now then who can?" Kagome glanced at Inuyasha to see he was watching her carefully, she quickly broke the eye contact and looked down at her hands, slightly nervous that he was still watching her so closely. "Your mother is a good woman... and a good ruler... but she can't exactly defend her people. They need a strong leader - a physically strong one."  
  
She paused for a moment not sure if she should go on, before deciding she might as well.  
  
"She said that if you get attacked then you'll lose. Sango and your mother will be killed for being human and you will probably be killed as well..." Kagome sighed and looked back at him. "And what about Fushi?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her a moment before looking away, about to say something... but he couldn't find the words and so gave up. He tried again a minute later. "I can't take the throne... if he ever comes back he won't ever be able to reclaim it from me... and then I'll be stuck with this job for the rest of my life until I get bumped off by my son, or some other heir."  
  
"Hey... who says you'll get bumped off by your own son?" Kagome chided. "You didn't bump off your dad..."  
  
There was a long pause.  
  
"...or did you?"  
  
"No!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm weird - I don't want the throne. But my father killed my grandfather and Sesshomaru wanted to kill dad for the throne as well."  
  
"Maybe he did kill your father...?"  
  
"No, he didn't." Inuyasha said shortly. "Dad's stronger than that. But if I get married and have kids - I immediately create my own enemy."  
  
"That sounds really tough..." Kagome sighed. "But maybe... because you're half human you didn't want to do your dad in? Maybe your kids will be the same?"  
  
"I doubt it... my mother wants me to marry a demoness... that will make any children I have will be more demon than human." He shrugged. "That's why I'm NOT getting married."  
  
"Wise decision." Kagome nodded. "But are you willing to risk everyone here just because you don't want to be stuck with a life time job?"  
  
He glared hard at the ground before standing and walking away with a closed expression. Kagome watched him go before sighing deeply and hugging her knees. He obviously hadn't liked what she'd said.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
She went back to the tree the next day... and was surprised to find Inuyasha was there again. She'd planned to go there to have some thinking time to herself... but it was a pleasant surprise to find Inuyasha already there, training himself with a bow and a quiver of arrows.  
  
"You follow me here again?" he asked as she came up beside him.  
  
"No... I actually came to enjoy the view." She smiled softly. It was true that she had a nice view... Inuyasha was always good to look at when he was doing training.  
  
He cast her a dry look before drawing his arrow back and aiming at the tree he was using for target practise... the one on the other side of the lake. He released and the arrow flew... but fell short and disappeared into the water. "Bastard..." he muttered to himself.  
  
"You need to aim higher." Kagome told him helpfully.  
  
Inuyasha clenched his fists angrily... she was beginning to try his patience already. With a grumble he strung another arrow and drew it back.  
  
"Higher than that..." Kagome pointed out.  
  
With a growl Inuyasha aimed it at an almost ninety degree angle and released. The arrow shot straight up into the air, and then began to fall... hitting the ground a few metres away. "Happy? Is that high enough for you?" Inuyasha snapped. "Why don't you just shut your trap?"  
  
"Alright..." Kagome sighed defensively and leant back against the tree.  
  
He tried a few more times, hitting the other bank of the river twice and even shooting one arrow into the higher branches of the tree, though he was still aiming at trunk itself.  
  
"Can I have a go?" Kagome suddenly asked.  
  
"Alright, if you think you could do better." He smirked and dropped to bow to her feet and stood back to let her handle it.  
  
Kagome bounced to her feet with a smile and picked up the bow and began to string it with another arrow. At this point Inuyasha realised his mistake... Kikyo had been a master at the bow. She could probably have shot every single one of these arrows and hit the same point on the other tree each time.  
  
"One point if you hit the tree... two if you hit one of the sheep." He told her, not entirely sure that she wouldn't show him up.  
  
Kagome closed one eye and aimed carefully, aiming a little higher than the tree, accounting for the fact that the arrow lost height over the distance it travelled. Then she released.  
  
It sailed straight over the water... and straight over the target tree... and started falling towards a flock of sheep. "Oh no... pull up - pull up!" Kagome cried.  
  
It didn't pull up. Kagome couldn't bare to look. She looked away quickly as a horrified bleating could be heard across the lake. She glanced up at Inuyasha timidly. "Did it hit one?"  
  
Inuyasha looked bewildered. "Jeez... right in the chest!"  
  
"Oh crap..." Kagome spared a look before grimacing and looking away.  
  
"You are the girl, Kagome!" he suddenly laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. "I guess you got two points after all!"  
  
Strangely enough Kagome didn't feel so great about that and she huffed angrily when Inuyasha took the bow back and ruffled her hair with a snigger.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yum... what is this we're eating?" Kagome asked that evening at supper.  
  
"Cook says it's mystery meat." Lady Inu told her with an oblivious smile. "Could be Lama for all we know."  
  
"Tastes like lamb chops to me." Inuyasha said carelessly around a mouthful, with a not-so-subtle wink at Kagome.  
  
Kagome gulped as she looked out the window to the flock grazing the pasture... one sheep down tonight...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome yawned tiredly as she made her way to Inuyasha's room as her bedtime rolled in a few nights later. No doubt Inuyasha would be elsewhere now. He never used his room anymore now that she'd taken up residence in there. She'd just come back from a little girl chat with Sango, having the time of their lives dissing old and past loves.  
  
Kagome's hair had now fallen from its neat and tidy princess style, and was now flopping around her shoulders loosely. Well, there weren't many people around so she didn't have to worry about being seen in such a messy state.  
  
How long had she been at the palace now? Almost two whole weeks... that just about gave her till the next new moon to get the Shikon. Naraku wanted Inuyasha dead by then... something Kagome couldn't even comprehend now. She wouldn't even try it...  
  
But then again, she was going to die of Sesshomaru's slow acting poison if she didn't tell him about the new moon. That was information Inuyasha's life also depended on... she didn't want to sell him out for a cure... but if she didn't she'd be dead in no time at all.  
  
Kagome stopped walking as she reached the corner of the corridor leading to the royal quarters. She chewed her lip thoughtfully. Somehow she would have to talk to Inuyasha and find out if he knew where his father was. With that information she could get the Shikon... and then she could work on getting a cure out of Inuyasha's brother.  
  
How she would do that she had no idea. But she'd just have to cross that bridge when she came to it. For now she could do the only thing possible... try and find out where Inuyasha's father was... dead or alive. Maybe Inuyasha wouldn't know... but she had to ask and find out.  
  
She picked up her pace as she hurried towards his room, hoping for once that he would be in there. She doubted it, but as she neared the door strange sounds from within made her slow down. Someone was groaning in pain inside...  
  
Kagome stood in complete silence, listening, unsure whether to run and get help, or to race inside and see what the problem was... Until another rather disturbing thought struck her. What if those weren't groans of pain... but of pleasure?  
  
That poison must have been churning in her stomach, because suddenly she felt very sick... The thought of Inuyasha in there entertaining another woman...? An unexpected pang of hurt and confusion shot through her... she felt cheated for some reason.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
She jumped around guiltily at the sound of Sango's voice. "I'm not a voyeur if that's what you're thinking!"  
  
"Didn't cross my mind." Sango's stride didn't break, along with that determined, yet worried expression on her face. "Come on, Inuyasha's using his room tonight, you can stay in Lady Inu's room - I'm sure she wouldn't mind."  
  
"What's he doing in his room?"  
  
"Um - sleeping?" Sango said a little too quickly.  
  
A loud, half groan, half growl rumbled from Inuyasha's room. Kagome glanced towards the door dubiously while Sango coughed loudly to try and cover the sound. "Sorry," she patted her chest. "Just got that cough that's going around... lots of flem..."  
  
"What's going on in there-" Kagome took a step towards the door.  
  
"Nothing!" Sango grabbed Kagome's arm and began dragging her away. "Nothing at all!"  
  
It didn't sound like nothing... but Kagome gave in to Sango's persistence and allowed herself to be ushered into the Queen's room. The Queen was awfully nice about it and allowed Kagome to sleep on the lounging chair (saying the floor was not fit for a Princess).  
  
Kagome couldn't sleep though. Mainly because Lady Inu's snoring kept her up, and also the strong light from the full moon outside. Or it could have been because she wasn't sleeping surrounded by Inuyasha's comforting scent anymore. Whatever the reason, Kagome couldn't sleep. The thought of Inuyasha just nagged at her mind and she couldn't even begin to understand why she was suddenly a little jealous that he could be with someone else.  
  
Maybe it was because she had worked hard over the last two weeks to find some way to befriend him... and maybe even more than that. It hurt to know she'd failed...  
  
She stayed awake a little longer, until her mouth started to become dry and she decided she seriously needed a drink. It meant that she'd have to trek all the way down to the abandoned kitchens... but maybe the trip would wear her out and send her to sleep when she got back.  
  
As quietly as possible, she pushed her blankets off and tiptoed towards the door of the room, trying not to wake to Queen. But right then she doubted a herd of elephants passing by would wake the Queen from her deep slumber.  
  
Once outside in the dark hallway, she began making her way quickly towards the stairs that would lead down to the ground floor, and ultimately the kitchens. But a soft sound from Inuyasha's room made her pause. She glanced at the door and frowned angrily. Was he still entertaining that woman?  
  
That's just when Kagome noticed something strange about the door. A strip of paper with funny squiggly lines had been pasted on the edge of the door, to the door frame. If the door slid open the paper would rip in half... and it had been placed on the outside.  
  
What was the point of that? Was it supposed to lock Inuyasha inside? If so that was pretty useless... she was sure Inuyasha would be strong enough to rip the paper apart... unless it was an ofuda spell.  
  
Kagome crept closer to get a better look. She was right... it WAS an ofuda spell. This would only be used to keep Youkai at bay. To keep Inuyasha in the room?  
  
"What a mean thing to do..." she mumbled made to open the door and rip the charm.  
  
As soon as she did so she felt her mistake... when a rather strong feeling of apprehension made the fine hairs on her arms tingle with awareness and her scalp crawled. She looked inside and saw no woman... just Inuyasha sitting on the chest before his window, looking out at the moon with his back turned to her.  
  
Kagome just stared. Hadn't he heard her open the door? "Inuyasha?"  
  
She took a couple of steps into the room, and shivered slightly, like it had suddenly gotten quite cold. She glanced back towards Inuyasha before noticing something was wrong...  
  
The sleeve of his night kimono had been ripped, and four long dark gashes ran along his shoulder to upper arm... making the crisp white kimono material become sodden with dark red blood.  
  
"Inuyasha - what happened to your arm?" Kagome quickly abandoned her inhibitions and ran forward, her hand outstretched to touch his clean shoulder.  
  
She was inches from touching him when suddenly his hand snapped out and seized her wrist in a painful grip. She gasped in pain as he squeezed before roughly throwing her to the floor. Kagome held her offended wrist to her chest as she looked up at Inuyasha, who swiftly rose to his feet and turned on her.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Ok, maybe she'd intruded, but throwing her that hard had been uncalled for. But then she noticed that he wasn't Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha had gold eyes... this demon had red... his ears looked wilder and his fangs overlapped his bottom lip slightly. She didn't want to focus her attention on his claws... because right then they were dripping in blood. His own blood. He'd injured himself.  
  
"I can see you're... uh... busy..." Kagome started to scoot back slowly along the floorboards. "I'll just leave you alone..."  
  
When he didn't move to pursue her, she quickly bolted to her feet and darted towards the door. But in a flash of white, the door slammed shut and Kagome skidded to a stop lest she crash into Inuyasha who was suddenly braced against the doorway.  
  
"What are you-"  
  
She was cut off as he suddenly threw a fist out and backhanded her sharply, and hard. Kagome flew back a few feet and landed on her back by the bed. It took her a few moments to regain her senses, before she realised Inuyasha was advancing on her slowly, with a short soft chuckle that should only ever have been emitted by Naraku during his more evil moments.  
  
Wanting to put something between them, no matter how futile it seemed, Kagome scrambled to her feet and tried to scuttle across the bed to the other side. However, she didn't even get that far when a rough hand grabbed her ankle and flipped her onto her back when she was only halfway across. Before she could even vocally protest or otherwise, he straddled her waist.  
  
Kagome gasped in outrage that he could even think about trying something on at a time like this, and drew her hand back to slap him as hard as she could. Unfortunately he was too fast and caught her hands in one of his bigger hands and pinned them above her head.  
  
She was completely exposed to him, and the fear and shame was racing through her veins in gallons. Out of control Inuyasha was much worse than sane villains. Sesshomaru was about as intimidating as a baby cat compared to how Kagome felt right then. And Naraku was no competition at all...  
  
She thought he was going to take advantage of her, until she saw him draw his fist back, ready to hit her hard. The fear multiplied and suddenly a long forgotten memory resurfaced... and she reacted the only way she could...  
  
She screamed.  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
Next morning Sango arrived to Inuyasha's room with a tray of breakfast and fresh bandages in case he'd managed to cut himself up again, like he usually did on full moons. She arrived at the door... and her blood ran cold as she saw the charm had been broken...  
  
Had he gotten out during the night...?  
  
But that was nothing compared to the scene she found when she hurried inside. It was enough to make her drop her tray in shock and horror as she stared at Inuyasha...  
  
"What have you done...?"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: *Dun, Dun, Dun!!!* No I'm not giving the next chapter title because I don't know what to call it yet. Sorry. Maybe that'll add to the horrible suspense. 


	10. Wake Up

AN: Well that was a bad cliff hanger. Sorry about that ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Wake Up  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
She didn't dare move... barely allowed herself to breathe in case she stirred him again. He'd fallen asleep... but she wasn't sure how long that would last until he woke up again.  
  
But then again... if she stiffened up too much then he would stir slightly... so she had to force herself to relax and breathe as calmly as possible under the circumstances.  
  
Kagome just knew he would be furious, if or when he returned back to normal. She'd already planned her line of defence - ready to recall statistics and perfect excuses if he got mad at her later. Not that any of this was her fault... if anything she should be mad at him.  
  
But it was hard to be mad at someone who slept so soundly and as peacefully as Inuyasha. Granted... she couldn't actually see his face since he had it securely tucked in the crook of her neck and shoulder. But judging by the rest of him, she gathered he slept like a baby.  
  
He stirred again, and Kagome tried to control her breathing as he mumbled something against the sensitive skin of her neck, his lips tickling her. She had to refrain from laughing since that was certain to wake him up. She was half looking forward to him waking up and getting off her... but the other half wanted him to stay like this with her... and not because she was scared of what he would say when he woke up.  
  
Inuyasha's arms rested slightly on either side of her torso, while the rest of his body was slumped completely against hers. Kagome would have pushed him off long ago... but he was VERY heavy. No normal person could be so heavy... but then again Inuyasha wasn't exactly what she'd call normal. At some point during the night she'd squirmed enough to allow her legs to move... causing Inuyasha to fall between them - making a very compromising position. If anyone came in on them like they were right then, then Kagome surely would have died from embarrassment-  
  
Just then someone came in on them. Sango to be more exact. Kagome snapped her head round to the door just in time to see the servant girl drop her silver tray onto the floor with a loud crash. Surprisingly, it didn't rouse Inuyasha much.  
  
"What... what have you done...?" Sango whispered in shock. "You're alive - are you ok? What are you doing in here?"  
  
"What does it look like I'm doing in here?" Kagome whispered urgently. "Please Sango - could you just help me get him off me before he wakes up and realises-"  
  
Sango suddenly shot off out of the room. "Lady Inu! You were right! They were at it like bunnies all night!"  
  
"Oh dear..." Kagome whispered and felt her face heating up. She'd have to clear up that misunderstanding quickly before Inuyasha woke up...  
  
All the noise Sango had made must have suddenly just reached Inuyasha's brain, and he began to stir seriously as he began to wake up. Kagome closed her eyes and starting muttering little prayers under her breath, pleading with any gods that Inuyasha was back to normal, and that he wouldn't rip her throat out in a few seconds. Inuyasha's hands moved from where they were lightly clutching the bed sheets to gently touch against her shoulders, his cheek nudging her jaw to the side to get better access to nuzzle her throat.  
  
Kagome's heart sped up phenomenally.  
  
Out of the blue she felt him place a warm open mouthed kiss to her bare shoulder, and she could feel the light scrape of his fangs over the skin. She just knew he had to have been awake when his leg moved slightly, pushing her thighs further apart.  
  
Kagome's heart was no longer just a fast beat - it was racing so fast it seemed like it was just one long beat... that couldn't be healthy... no doubt Inuyasha could feel it too. She almost felt blessed relief when he stopped doing those small sensual things to press his forehead against her shoulder and give a big bone-cracking yawn.  
  
Suddenly he stopped moving completely and Kagome wondered if he'd gone to sleep again. But that hope was suddenly dashed when he lifted his upper half off her so fast it was a wonder he didn't get whiplash.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
"Inuyasha?" She was glad to see his clear golden eyes again and his stripe free face.  
  
"What are you doing in my bed?" his eyes darted between them and he suddenly turned a little red as he realised their position, remembering what he'd just been doing to her. Poor boy had probably been half asleep.  
  
"You..." Kagome struggled to remember what he'd just asked since she was too secretly pleased to find she had an ability to make the tough Prince Inu Youkai blush.  
  
He stared at her, trying to read her expression for a moment before he broke out into a furious snarl. "You IDIOT! I could have killed you!"  
  
Before Kagome could stop him he'd all but thrown himself off her, swiped his clothes and zipped through the door that Sango had left open. Kagome didn't bother sitting up... she felt a little chilly now that Inuyasha's warmth had left her.  
  
It wasn't long after Inuyasha left that Lady Inu arrived with Sango in tow. "Kagome?" Inuyasha's mother hurried towards the bed. "Are you ok? What's all this blood on your kimono?"  
  
"It's... It's Inuyasha's." Kagome said quietly.  
  
"Is everything alright? You look pale." Sango quickly appeared by her side and rubbed her arm. "What happened? How come he didn't kill you? Last night was the full moon, right?"  
  
"What's that got to do with anything?" Kagome frowned slightly, wondering what Sango meant.  
  
"Full moons are when Inuyasha turns... you know..." Lady Inu coughed slightly. "Wilder than usual... it's only a recent thing. He's only done it for the past six months since his father left... usually we just lock him in this room until morning and he's back to normal. Normally... even I can't approach him without being attacked. But he didn't attack you-?"  
  
"Oh - he attacked me..." Kagome said quickly.  
  
"Then how come you're still alive?" Sango asked again.  
  
Kagome was about to answer before suddenly getting up and grabbing her clothes. "Excuse me - I have to go and get cleaned up."  
  
On her way out of the room she bent and scooped up the bandages that Sango had dropped the first time she'd entered. She had a feeling she knew where Inuyasha was heading - and she couldn't let him brood on this. He was mad at her... he had been worried for her. She couldn't let it hang in the air like that - she needed to talk to him soon.  
  
As she scrambled through the corridors of the palace she quickly pulled on her clothes over her night-clothes. She heard a few outraged and horrified gasps from a couple of maids that she passed, but she ignored them as she ran down the stairs towards the palace gates. She'd just finished tying the sash of her kimono as she left the palace grounds and headed towards the old willow tree where she often hung out, with or without Inuyasha. She could see he was already sitting beneath it with his classic anger pose - folded arms and terse expression.  
  
He didn't look up as she arrived and slowed down to rest her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "Morning...!"  
  
Inuyasha didn't even acknowledge her. Except for the fact that he blushed ever so slightly... probably remembering what he'd done as he'd woken up again. It was understandable. So Kagome planned to just not talk about that.  
  
"Um... about last night..." Kagome dropped down to sit beside him, looking at him closely. "Your mom told me the deal with the full moon. Is it true that you turn wild? Are you like a full blooded Youkai?"  
  
He gave no reply, though his brow lowered ever so slightly.  
  
"Do you remember what happened?" she tried, but he continued to ignore her, and even turned his head away. "I came into your room last night and... and you jumped me."  
  
"If I jumped you then you would be dead." He said bluntly, still not looking at her. "You don't look dead to me."  
  
"Well you didn't kill me - obviously!" Kagome smiled and waved a hand with dismissal. "That's because when you pinned me to the bed and were about to beat me to a bloody pulp (insert Inuyasha anger spasms here) I remembered something my grandfather told me when I was younger."  
  
"So?"  
  
"So..." Kagome tapped her fingers against her knee. "He told me to stay away from the rabid dog that lived at the edge of the village - but if I ever bumped into him I had to sing."  
  
Inuyasha finally turned to stare at her incredulously. "Sing?"  
  
"Yeah... apparently the music rhythms in song and music, melodious or lyrical, creates a pattern. Patterns bring chaos to order - and when the dog hears music his rabid mind is calmed and he usually falls asleep or becomes docile. That's why people go insane without music in their lives. Did you know that?"  
  
"Um..." Inuyasha stared at her before narrowing his eyes. "You're not that dumb are you...?"  
  
"Actually... I kinda used up my intelligence limit for the day just then..." Kagome said sheepishly. "But it's true."  
  
"You sang... and I fell asleep?" Inuyasha snorted. "I find that hard to believe."  
  
"Well I'm alive and well, aren't I?" Kagome spread her arms. "I screamed and you froze - so all I had to do was sing the first line of 'An old man and his stick' and you stopped trying to hurt him. Two more lines and you was out like a light... squishing me to the bed."  
  
He continued to stare with disbelief until he turned with another snort of contempt. "I can't believe you were so stupid. You came into my room - EVEN though there was a blatant seal on the door! You all but walked in begging me to attack you!"  
  
"What's your problem? I'm alive - so don't be so angry at me!" Kagome cried.  
  
"I'm not angry at you!" he snapped. "I'm angry at me!"  
  
"It's not your fault!" Kagome defended him. "You can't control yourself like that!"  
  
"Try telling me that in the morning if you hadn't sung that stupid rhyme!" he growled. "No wait - you wouldn't be telling me anything because you'd have been dead!"  
  
Kagome watched him quietly. "You cared about me?"  
  
Inuyasha flinched. "No! I would have been mad if it had been anyone at all - could have been the captain of the guard who walked in on me and I'd still be angry at myself."  
  
"Well..." Kagome fiddled with the hem of her sleeve. "I don't think you would have licked your guard's neck like that..."  
  
She'd only said it to get him to blush. It worked fairly well. She grinned and continued. "Look... it wasn't your fault, I'm ok... so don't beat yourself up over it."  
  
"You don't make any sense so I am going to ignore you know." Inuyasha turned away completely.  
  
"What are you on about?! I make perfect sense!"  
  
He ignored her.  
  
"Hey!" Kagome tapped his shoulder furiously, before tugging his hair. When he didn't respond to that, she pulled his ear... and even that failed. She crawled around to sit in front of him and waved her hand before his face - but he remained staring stoically ahead like she wasn't even there. "Inuyasha... you have a nose bleed."  
  
He didn't buy it, and she scowled at him. Suddenly she carefully wiped a bit of the blood that was trickling down his arm and dabbed on under his nose. "See?"  
  
He still didn't move, or even try to wipe it away.  
  
Kagome sighed to herself. "Fine... if you're gonna be that way, I'm just gonna bandage your arm without your permission."  
  
She crawled around to his side and yanked his arm up and out. Without warning she yanked his thick outer kimono off his shoulder, none-too- gently. She waited for him to hiss in pain or cry like a baby... but he was tougher than she gave him credit for. She worked quietly, making sure she cleaned the wound with a little water from the lake before she applied the bandage. When she was done she pulled Inuyasha's clothes back on and sat back, waiting for him to tell her what a good job she'd done.  
  
Though she must have been getting to know a different Inuyasha if she believed he would praise her.  
  
"You're so grumpy..." she sighed loudly. "I should just push you into the lake... hopefully you'll ignore what I did and just sit on the bottom and drown."  
  
Inuyasha made a strange noise and Kagome looked up suddenly to see him turn his head away quickly so she couldn't see his face. But Kagome was willing to bed he'd made a bad attempt to squash his snigger.  
  
Slowly she crawled around so she faced him again, but by then he'd regained his stern composure and carried on staring straight ahead, as though he'd never snickered in the first place.  
  
When she got no reaction she leaned forward and gently blew on his ear to see if she could make him squirm. His ear twitched ever so slightly, she nearly missed it... but she grinned in smug triumph.  
  
"You know... all this hair must get in your way..." Kagome inched around the back of him and pulled her hair tie loose as she began to run her fingers through his hair. She felt, more than saw, him tense under her ministrations. And purely out of pettiness, she managed to tug his hair back and tied it in a rather feminine ponytail.  
  
She then scrambled around to the front to find him scowling even more so than before, but still working hard to ignore her presence. "There... can barely tell you apart from my grandma..." she prodded his furrowed and scowling forehead. "You even have the lines and wrinkles too."  
  
The corner of his mouth quirked slightly and he held his breath, obviously trying to stop himself from either laughing, or snarling and attacking her. Kagome was willing to bet he was struggling hard not to snigger again.  
  
"I suppose this would be a great time to tell you some news - since I know you won't react." She knelt before him with an earnest expression. "That time in the throne room when I collapsed, I was actually having a vision of when Kikyo died. I think I can see into the past."  
  
He didn't move.  
  
"But don't go asking me about who'll you'll marry or if that maid down in the kitchen really does fancy you because I won't be a fortune teller." Kagome smiled. "Oh - and I accidentally smashed a vase in the throne room and all this ash came out. And when I looked it had a plaque with your grandfather's name on and-"  
  
"You dropped my grandfather?!" Inuyasha yelled suddenly.  
  
Kagome leaned back slightly with a smile. "Just kidding!"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her a moment before turning his head away and ignoring her. Kagome followed his movements so she could see his face. He turned away again, so she followed him again. This kept up for a while before he grabbed her shoulders to hold her still, his expression very strange. "Will you-" He broke off as he began laughing.  
  
Kagome watched him with mild surprise, but with interest. She'd never really heard him laugh before... well... not nicely. He only usually laughed when he was being cynical and sarcastic. Now his laughter seemed rich and real.  
  
"Are you having a seizure?" Kagome asked, eyes wide with disbelief.  
  
"You're great." He grinned as he let go of her shoulders and his laughter subsided. He turned back to face the lake, and so missed the light blush that spread over Kagome's cheeks at his words. "So you can see into the past, huh?"  
  
"I've only done it twice so far..." Kagome pressed a cool hand against her cheek, discreetly trying to get rid of her blush before he saw it.  
  
"What was the other time."  
  
"Well the first time was in the throne room with you. There was a flash and then everything turned black and white and I was watching Kikyo blow herself up. The second time was the day before yesterday - I was walking down the corridor when I had another flash and everything was grey again, and I saw a little hanyou boy running away from a little girl... I think you and Sango were playing tag."  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise. "We weren't playing tag... she was chasing me with that bone boomerang..."  
  
"Then it flashed again and I was back in the present, and you both had vanished from the corridor." Kagome turned a smile on him.  
  
"So... you can see things that have happened when you visit the places they happened?" Inuyasha frowned, looking slightly worried.  
  
"Well, not by my own will. Don't look so horrified."  
  
"Ok - so stay away from the storage rooms on the second floor." He said evenly.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"So anyway," he coughed loudly. "What made you go in my room last night to almost get killed."  
  
"Curiosity..." Kagome said slowly. And a bit of jealousy but she wasn't going to admit that.  
  
"Uh huh." He didn't sound convinced and turned away. "I've been thinking..."  
  
"A dangerous occupation."  
  
"I know." He looked hard at the lake. "Tessaiga is a seal for demon blood... it protects human blood... it protects humans..."  
  
Kagome watched him carefully, trying to see where he was going with this.  
  
"After what you said the other day about what would happen if Sesshomaru attacked... I thought about learning to master the sword." He said quietly, while Kagome's hopes soared for him. "And after what happened last night... I KNOW I have to master it in case I lose control again..."  
  
"Will the sword seal your demon blood?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced at her. She was quick... so maybe she wasn't as thick as she believed. "Yeah."  
  
"You'd do that for me?" Kagome asked gently, touched.  
  
"Not just for you." He said sharply. "For everyone else too."  
  
"Does this mean you'll take the throne now?"  
  
Inuyasha paused before shaking his head. Kagome sighed... but at least it was a start. Without thinking she suddenly leaned over and kissed him briefly on the cheek. "Thank you, ya highness."  
  
She got up and headed back towards the palace, planning to go for a walk later when the temperature rose a little towards midday. Inuyasha stayed stock still, not watching her leave since all his attention was focused on his cheek... and thinking about how soft her lips were.  
  
Just as soft as her neck had been.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'd get a lovely grandchild, wouldn't you think?" Lady Inu cooed as Sango tied her obi at the back.  
  
"Would they have black hair or white hair?" Sango asked as she finished up.  
  
Lady Inu looked thoughtful. "Hm... they better have more than one - that way they'll get at least one with white hair and one with black. But if they have all white hair then they'll have to keep trying for that child with the black hair."  
  
"They'd make a beautiful couple." Sango sighed dreamily. "I can't wait for the wedding..."  
  
"We'd have to have it down by the lakes. Under that tree that they love to sit under!" Lady Inu clapped her hands in delight. "That's just where me and Lord Inu married!"  
  
"It's a shame he won't be here to see his son marry off to a beautiful girl..."  
  
"Yes..." Lady Inu sighed. "When he heard Inuyasha was marrying Kikyo he got mad though... threatened to disown the poor boy."  
  
"I know... I was there..." Sango moved to stand before Lady Inu and adjusted the Queen's clothing.  
  
"Stupid man barely restrained himself from cheering and giving a toast when the girl kicked the bucket." Lady Inu frowned. "I had to continually pinch him in Inuyasha's presence to stop him from doing just that..."  
  
Sango chuckled slightly. "I know... I remember a time when-"  
  
She broke off as a loud urgent knock sounded on the door. Lady Inu gestured for Sango to open it, and the girl padded across the bedroom to slide the door back. Two advisors stood there looking anxious.  
  
"Milady!" they spoke directly to Lady Inu. "We've just received word from the sentries on the South coast!"  
  
"And?"  
  
"They say an army of wolf Youkai are approaching in boats - it's an invasion!"  
  
Lady Inu burst into action. "Holy Hari! You - tell the Prince what is happening - and you - give word to the soldiers to ready themselves on the southern cliffs. We'll be ready."  
  
Sango bit her lip. Lady Inu sounded confident... but in truth, they would never be ready in a hundred years.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter 'Jealousy Bites'  
  
Guess who's turning up... ¬_¬ Begins with K and it ain't Kikyo. (Has anyone noticed how many names begin with K in this series? Kagura, Kouga, Kikyo, Kagome, Kohaku, Kanna... uh... I'm sure there are more I've forgotten...) 


	11. Jealousy Bites

AN: Since someone asked - I DO read every single one of my reviews that I get (usually two or three times because they make me feel so happy ^_^) So whatever you write in those little review boxes does actually reach me so feel free to say whatever you want. I do get one or two bad reviews... but general everyone is really nice and encouraging (Thank you!!! ^_^) I've never gotten a flame (but watch them all flood in now to make up for that)  
  
Anyway, my head's just blown so big I'm nearly falling off my chair - better get on with the fic ^_^;;;  
  
Happy New Year to everyone - I'll just post this and RUN to my party now before I miss the fireworks (or miss the party for that matter) It's nine o'clock over here... 3 hours to go!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Jealousy Bites  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
What was so special about it anyway? It looked like any ordinary katana... except that it had chips in the blade, rust along the side and the handle was slightly loose. If had been any other sword it would have been melted down as scrap metal... other than swing about, there wasn't much more he could do with Tessaiga. The magical blade that could cut through any substance on earth.  
  
Bull.  
  
Those were in the old days. Now the sword could just about cut through water... and that was only on a good day. It seemed the only thing it was good for was to strap to his side and use as a seal for his blood... other than that... a cattle prod maybe?  
  
With a sigh, Inuyasha slid it back into it's black scabbard on his right hip, before unsheathing his own personal sword that rested on the left. It may not have been a legendary sword but at least it was capable of cutting butter at least. And when it broke, like all katanas did eventually, he could replace it with an even better shinier sword. He was going to keep practising with the shiny sword...  
  
After all... he sort of felt like he was using something that didn't belong to him. It was his father's sword... his father was still alive... it was like stealing a siblings belongings while they were away from home. (Something Inuyasha had done a number of times after Sesshomaru left the South for the North and had left his room unguarded).  
  
The door to the practise hall was suddenly opened and several soldiers appeared in the doorway. "Your Highness, we need you."  
  
"I'm busy." Inuyasha said shortly.  
  
"The wolf Youkai are approaching the southern cliffs in barges - they'll be here in minutes to invade."  
  
Inuyasha stopped his practising at once and shoved past them on his way out. "Where are the men?"  
  
"Gathered on the south side of the palace." The captain told him, quickly following him with the other soldiers.  
  
"Where's my mother?"  
  
"Safe in the throne room."  
  
"And Lady Kagome?"  
  
"Uh..." the captain looked at the other men who simply shrugged. "She's not in the palace."  
  
"Shit..." Inuyasha rounded on two random soldiers behind him. "You two are to find Kagome, bring her back to the palace and guard her."  
  
The two Inu Youkai nodded and hurried off.  
  
Inuyasha started off again, heading through the palace to the back exit.  
  
"You'll lead the fight, my lord?" The captain asked.  
  
"No... I was figuring I'd just yell charge and then hide behind a tree." He snapped sarcastically. "Of course I'll lead the fight."  
  
They looked relieved... but tensed up at the same time.  
  
The three hundred strong army was waiting at the edge of the cliffs when Inuyasha arrived. A great deal of the strongest men gathered from the villages in the South... but compared to the North they were no match. But whether or not they could match up to the wolves was a different matter. They'd never fought the wolves before.  
  
By then, the barges carrying the wolf Youkai warriors had already moored on the beaches below and the wolves were now rapidly climbing the cliffs to meet the dogs.  
  
"Do we have a plan of attack?" the captain asked Inuyasha.  
  
"Any coconut bombs?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"No tigers in pits cover with straw? Falling logs?" Inuyasha watched the man shake his head. "Then we'll just have to do it the old fashioned way and get stuck in."  
  
He walked forward towards the cliff, just as one of the first wolf men reached the top. Without much effort, he kicked the man's face, sending him falling. "And that always works too."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango entered the throne room to attend Lady Inu... only to find her pacing back and forth dramatically.  
  
"What will we do if we lose?" The older woman fretted as she saw Sango enter. "What will we do if we win? We'll be weakened... Sesshomaru would choose to attack straight away!"  
  
"He may not learn of the wolf invasion." Sango tried to soothe her.  
  
"No - he has spies all over this palace - he would know the minute Inuyasha sneezed." She sighed. "He probably already knows about Kagome being here... by the way... where is Kagome?"  
  
"I... I thought she was in Inuyasha's room." Sango bit her lip.  
  
"I was just down there - she isn't in there." Lady Inu suddenly looked alarmed. "What if she's out of the palace?! What if she gets caught up in the crossfire?!"  
  
"I'm sure she has enough sense to keep out of trouble." Strangely enough that had sounded more convincing in Sango's head. "Anyway... of all the places in the Island, I doubt she's anywhere near the South beach cliffs."  
  
Lady Inu resumed her pacing. "I hope you're right..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Eventually the wolf Youkai had managed to climb the cliffs and immediately engaged in battle with the Inu Youkai with little pretence. Both forces were fairly evenly matched... except maybe the wolf Youkai had more experience.  
  
And worse of all, Inuyasha was being targeted for both being the only hanyou, and being the leader. He was doing fairly well beating off the attacks... but eventually at least one hit had to meet it's target.  
  
Inuyasha reeled back slightly as one of the wolf man's fists connected with his jaw. For a moment he saw stars until he regained his bearings and clenched his sword harder. "Bastard!" he lunged forward and kicked the man so hard he went flying straight off the cliff again. Another man chose that moment to attack from behind, but soon found himself flipped over Inuyasha's back and sailing through the air to meet the sands (and rocks) below.  
  
A sword slashed through the air at amazing speed, and Inuyasha barely had the time to get his neck out of the way of the blade. He spun around to see the wielder of the weapon and readied his own in defence.  
  
A young Wolf man stood there, having just completed his swing with a cocky smirk on his face. He was dressed in slightly lighter colours than the rest of his pack and a slightly different power seemed to emanate from him.  
  
"The only hanyou here..." The wolf man spun his blade and slipped it back in its scabbard at his side. "You wreak of human weakness... I'm guessing that would make you the boss, huh?"  
  
"Kouga, I presume." Inuyasha's lip curled in a snarl.  
  
"My reputation proceeds me." Kouga smirked even wider. "Doesn't look like I'll need the sword to finish you off."  
  
The battles waged on around them, as Kouga waited for Inuyasha to make the first move. Inuyasha simply threw his sword down to the ground and waited for Kouga to make the first move. He wasn't going to fight against an unarmed idiot with a sword, at least this way if he lost he'd lose on equal grounds.  
  
Kouga suddenly kicked off and disappeared in a flurry of motion. Inuyasha blinked at the spot he'd been until he was kicked hard in the gut as Kouga reappeared beside him. Inuyasha immediately thrust his claws out despite being bent double, but missed and received a heavy blow to the back of the head by Kouga's elbow.  
  
Already he was losing... at least no one was looking their way just yet. He still had time to retaliate.  
  
But all those hopes were cut short when he felt Kouga lift him by the front of his haori clean into the air to dangle. Kouga smirked and was about to say something nasty... when he caught a rather strong scent emanating from Inuyasha's clothes. He dropped him at once... "Kagome..."  
  
"Nope... still Inuyasha..." Inuyasha sprang to his feet and at once tackled Kouga to pin him to the ground, claws pressed against his throat. "What is she to you?!"  
  
"Fucking dog-turd!" Kouga tried to throw him off but only succeeded in getting his throat nicked by the hanyou's claws. "It's me who should be asking the questions! How come you wreak of he scent?!"  
  
"Take a wild guess, genius!" Inuyasha sneered and punched Kouga in the stomach before standing up and continuing to pin him with his foot. The battle continued on around them, and it was luck so far that they hadn't been jostled. "How come you know her anyway?!" Inuyasha demanded. So far he was only sure that Kouga and Kagome had been involved... but he'd not yet learned the details.  
  
"Asshole... she's my mate!"  
  
Shock roiled through Inuyasha, and his pressure on Kouga's chest loosened slightly. He hadn't known that MINOR detail about Kagome... she was already someone else's mate? But most of all... he was surprised that he felt so disappointed and angry.  
  
"Stop!"  
  
The two leaders looked up through the surrounding battle to see Kagome haplessly rushing towards the scene of the battle. Both immediately panicked and Inuyasha released Kouga instantly. "Stop fighting!" he ordered his own men quickly.  
  
"Stop this instant - let Kagome pass!" Kouga waved his arms to get the wolf men's attention.  
  
It worked, and the fighting gradually ground to a halt just in time for Kagome to dodge her way through the stationary soldiers to plant herself between the two leaders. She was obviously out of breath. "Inuyasha... you have to stop fighting... I know these guys..."  
  
"You know him too?" Inuyasha said expressionlessly.  
  
Kagome turned with a frown to see who he meant... and visibly stiffened when she saw him. "Kouga...?"  
  
He stared at her in shock for a moment, not quite believing his eyes, before he suddenly pulled her close into a tight embrace. "Oh god... I missed you so much..."  
  
Kagome remained in a state of shock, unable to really reciprocate the embrace. Maybe before if he'd greeted her the same way she would have melted into his arms with nothing but happy feelings of love. But now...all she could think about was the fact that Inuyasha was watching.  
  
Eventually, she returned the embrace, but somewhat jerkily. Strangely enough, she felt very self-conscious and aware of everyone's gazes resting on them. Then suddenly, without warning, Kouga pulled out of the embrace and pressed his lips against hers.  
  
It was such a familiar feeling, that she felt a stronger wave of nostalgia pass through her, rather than a wave of love. What was wrong with her? Why couldn't she return his feelings the same way she used to. He'd been gone... what? A month? Had her heart grown harder towards him.  
  
It could have been the fact that she'd chanted to herself everyday so far that she hated and despised his guts. But even now she was finding it hard to hate him when he so obviously had missed her. But then again... she was still finding it hard to accept that he was here with her.  
  
"For crying our loud, get a room you two." Inuyasha's harsh voice cut through the moment and Kagome quickly pulled back, feeling a little embarrassed. Something she didn't often feel.  
  
Before Kagome could do much else though, she felt gentle hands clap her on the shoulders and arms. "Welcome back Nee-san." She recognised Ginta.  
  
"It hasn't been the same without you." Hakkaku grinned at her.  
  
"Thanks..." Kagome muttered sheepishly as Kouga continued to hold her by his side with an arm around her shoulders.  
  
"This is interesting, dog-turd." Kouga glanced sharply at Inuyasha. "Turns out you have two things I want now. Your Kingdom... and Kagome."  
  
Inuyasha darted a shrewd glare between the pair. Kagome was blushing heavily... "So it seems."  
  
"I'm not a greedy guy," Kouga continued, oblivious to Kagome's squirming to get away from him. "If you give me back my Kagome, I'll end the attack on your Kingdom. Maybe I'll even ally my forces to yours to help you defeat the North."  
  
Everyone stared at him. It was Ginta who spoke first. "You'll give up the attack-?"  
  
"I'd give up my life for Kagome." Kouga turned back to her. "When I was gone for barely a week I thought that I was going crazy without you. I went back only to find your family had disowned you and you'd left. I wanted to follow you... but I had obligations here... but now that I've found you again, I'll happily give them up for you."  
  
"Kouga..." Kagome was flattered big time.  
  
Inuyasha made gagging motions behind her back.  
  
"And like I said I'll even help you attack the North." Kouga continued, looking back at Inuyasha who was suddenly moving from gagging to rubbing his throat innocently. "But after you defeat them... I won't hold any promises about going against you again. What do you say?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome to see her watching him intensely. He couldn't quite read her expression but she looked like she was imploring him to say yes. She loved Kouga... why wouldn't she? He quickly went over his other options in this choice. If he said no, then he would end up having Kagome hate him and remain with two strong enemies to fight. If he said yes, Kagome would be happy, and he'd have stronger forces to fight just the one enemy in the north. It would improve his chances. There wasn't really much of a choice...  
  
But he was reluctant to let Kagome go.  
  
Kagome watched Inuyasha carefully as Kouga squeezed her shoulder gently. She waited for his answer with baited breath, just like everyone else on the cliffs. She half wanted him to say no. She didn't want to leave this place to be with Kouga... but then again she realised he should say yes for the good of his kingdom.  
  
Too many conflicting emotions welled inside her. She didn't understand her feelings towards Kouga anymore... and even more importantly... she felt she was only just beginning to understand her feelings towards Inuyasha. What was he going to say?  
  
Inuyasha sighed as he gave in. "Fine. Take her."  
  
Kagome's heart sank.  
  
Kouga grinned. "Not as thick as you look after all, eh?"  
  
Inuyasha growled again.  
  
"Great." Kouga made a gesture to his men. "We make camp in the forest near the middle border of the kingdoms. Just call on us when you need us. Come on Kagome."  
  
Kagome spluttered slightly as he grabbed her wrist and began dragging her off. "I have to sleep in the woods too?"  
  
"You mean you want to stay in the palace, with him?" Kouga frowned at her.  
  
Kouga or the palace... well... Kagome was more of the material girl nowadays. "But it gets so cold out here at night..."  
  
"But it's a tropical climate." Kouga watched her face carefully, trying to read her feelings.  
  
"But... I'll get dirty..." Kagome fiddled with her skirts. "Can't I stay in the palace... you can come visit whenever you like."  
  
"But what about at night... I'll miss you..." he rubbed her upper arms affectionately. Behind them Inuyasha rolled his eyes and gave quiet orders for the Inu Youkai soldiers to turn and head back home. "I only just found you... I don't want to give you up again so soon..."  
  
"You won't give me up..." Kagome looked down at her feet.  
  
"But what if he takes advantage of you." Kouga jerked his chin towards Inuyasha who was standing stiffly a short distance away, arms folded and expression thunderous.  
  
"He's not like that..." Kagome said gently.  
  
"Any man who captures you and makes you a concubine is like that." Kouga said shortly.  
  
"C-Concubine?" Kagome snapped her eyes back up to his. "I'm not his concubine."  
  
There was a loud sigh from Inuyasha's direction. "At least... not any more..."  
  
Kagome was about to turn and throw something at him for that comment but Kouga's grip was firm. He spoke so quietly Inuyasha couldn't hear him. "Fine... you can stay at the palace... but when this is all over we'll take over the South as well as the North and then you can be my Queen. You can stay in the palace with me every night."  
  
Kagome didn't say anything. Suddenly she didn't like the idea of conquest.  
  
"Bye Kouga..." she quickly pulled herself away and trotted past Inuyasha who glared at Kouga a little longer before following after her slowly.  
  
"So you're finally back together, huh?" Inuyasha remarked evenly.  
  
Kagome nodded jerkily with a forced smile. "I guess..." she glanced at him, trying to gauge his reaction.  
  
She was surprised to see him turn a fairly pleasant smile on her. "Good. I'm happy for you. It's nice to see you've finally got your mate back."  
  
"My what?" Kagome stopped dead.  
  
"Kagome!" She turned to look back at Kouga who was walking after his men, backwards so he could see her. "I'll be thinking of you every minute I'm gone. I love you!"  
  
Kagome couldn't bring herself to say the same words. "You too!"  
  
There was a loud crunch sound behind her and she jumped around in time to see a very large old red wood tree swing over to slam against the ground, a messy fist hole in the trunk at shoulder height. She flinched when it impacted with a crash and glanced after Inuyasha who walked casually past it, still with that unnervingly pleasant look on his face and a slight whistle on his lips.  
  
She had to talk to him about a vision she'd had while out walking... but now didn't seem quite the right time. She just followed after him meekly, keeping her head down while mulling over her thoughts of Kouga...  
  
By the time she reached the palace she just knew in her heart...  
  
She didn't love him.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"I see... So she is already mated to the Wolf pack leader." Lady Inu sat before her mirror whilst combing her hair delicately. She glanced up at Sango through the mirror, who was bouncing Fushi on her knee on her bed. "Why didn't she tell us?"  
  
"She told me before." Sango wrinkled her nose. "Apparently he jilted her in a way for his love of war... she said she hated his guts and hoped he got neutered by someone's sword."  
  
"How is Inuyasha taking it?" His mother asked quietly.  
  
"Um..." Sango thought over how Inuyasha had been acting since the confrontation with the wolves that morning. "He's taking it well... eerily well... if I didn't know any better... I'd say he was a little perturbed."  
  
"Dear me..." Lady Inu sighed. "If he was jealous he would let us know through violence. Any smashed windows...? Doors? Anything broken at all?"  
  
"If he's angry he's holding it well." Sango snuggled her son close to her chest. "And you know what he's like... he just isn't physically capable of holding in anger. I don't think we were successful... I don't think he likes Kagome that way..."  
  
"Well damn... there went my grandchildren out the window." Lady Inu tapped her knee with her comb. "I guess I'll just have to go hunting around for a new bride."  
  
Sango sighed and didn't say anything. She was disappointed... the one girl Inuyasha finally hit it off with... the only girl who seemed to hold any moral decency... was already taken by the enemy. "I guess I should go and prepare the guest room for Kagome to sleep in..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
She finally had it. She information she could use to buy her freedom. All she had to do was find Inuyasha and tell him what he needed to know and then she would be one step closer to having the Shikon no Tama in her possession.  
  
But first - lunch. Her stomach was going to take priority over her soul... so she headed down to the kitchens to get a snack before she went to bed.  
  
Downstairs the kitchens were empty as everyone was already getting ready for bed. The only people that were awake during the night were a few of the servants and all of the guards and sentries. Everyone else slept snug as a bug in their beds.  
  
Kagome set about searching for the ingredients for her favourite snack... it would only take a few minutes to make... but finding the stuff she needed could take well over an hour considering the size of that kitchen. She started opening cupboard doors at random, while wincing at the loud groaning her stomach made in protest for food.  
  
"Wait a minute..." she rubbed her stomach and tried to follow her nose. It would help a lot more if she had a nose like Inuyasha's...  
  
"Looking for something?"  
  
Kagome jumped at the sound of someone's voice behind her. She spun around to see one of the servants was standing just behind her... she hadn't even heard him enter. Now that was unnerving. "Uh... I can manage." She smiled whilst tucking her hair behind her ear.  
  
He grunted before leaning back against the counter behind him. "Do you have it?"  
  
Kagome stared at him, blinking. "Have what?"  
  
"Sesshomaru's information." He said shortly.  
  
"Uh..." Kagome struggled to get her brain into gear as her heart beat sped up a little. Were they on to her? Did they know she was doing dodgy things for Inuyasha's older brother? "I don't know what you're talking about..." she said jerkily, and lamely.  
  
"Oh for fuck's sake..." he grumbled and shifted against the counter as his hand came up to rub his cheek. Kagome watched with wide eyes as he rubbed away some facial paint or make-up... to reveal two dark stripes on his cheek beneath. "I work for his lordship. He sent me to retrieve the information he wanted from you."  
  
"Oh..." Was all Kagome could say. She wasn't ready for this yet. She hadn't decided how she was going to deal with this problem yet. No way was she telling Sesshomaru about the new moon... not after she had made that hand shake promise with Inuyasha to keep it a secret. She would guard it with her life...  
  
"Well?" the man snapped his fingers before her face to get her attention. "Which night is the brat's human night?"  
  
"The full moon." Kagome said without thinking. "Tell Sesshomaru that if he wants to attack Inuyasha... make it the full moon." He wouldn't stand a chance against that out of control version of Inuyasha... perhaps...  
  
The spy glared at her hard for a moment before grunting and turning to leave.  
  
"Wait - where's my cure?!" Kagome took a few steps after him.  
  
"Sesshomaru has it."  
  
"But I need it! He said he would give it to me when I give him the information!" Kagome cried angrily. "It was our deal!"  
  
"Relax! Sesshomaru said he would deliver the cure to you when he invades."  
  
"But I need that cure now or else I'll die!" Kagome growled.  
  
The spy just smirked at her. "Sesshomaru will invade before your time is up... don't worry about that." he turned and walked out the kitchen, just like that.  
  
Kagome stared after him a moment before slumping against the cupboard behind her. Her stomach had stomped making growling sounds... and strangely enough she didn't feel so hungry anymore... and she certainly felt a little queasy.  
  
What had she done? Had she made the right choice? Would Sesshomaru know she'd lied? What would happen when he invaded? Would Inuyasha be ok? Would she get her cure?  
  
Kagome shook her head with a grimace and a gasp. She couldn't think about this right now. Too many problems and questions were pressing on her skull... and she could only deal with one at a time. First problem - she was tired. She needed sleep. Hence she would go to bed to solve that first problem.  
  
Tomorrow she could tell Inuyasha about his father...  
  
She slipped back off through the palace, heading towards the royal suits, fatigue and exhaustion making her eyelids heavy. She barely made it to the royal bedrooms without keeling over and falling asleep on the bare floor of the corridors. But somehow she made it there... and out of pure habit, she went into Inuyasha's room and slipped into the bed.  
  
She didn't notice that somebody else also inhabited the same bed.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Three guesses who? I dare you. 


	12. New Girl

AN: That's right. The person in INUYASHA'S bed was Jaken. ¬_¬  
  
Ok, and a note on the spelling of Tetsusaiga/Tessaiga. Yeah, I know there is another spelling of the sword, but it's not illegal to spell it the shorter way. The kanji that make up the name in Japanese is not entirely clear. There is a symbol in the word that could either stand for 'tsu' or a pause which would make it double the letter (a double consonant) that comes after it. So it could be Te-tsu-saiga OR Te-s-saiga. I guess the only way to know for sure which way to spell it would be to ask Rumiko Takahashi herself, and even then she'd probably just shrug and say 'whatever floats your boat'. I know that can sound complicated, but since Tessaiga is faster and easier to type whilst in the flow of writing, I prefer that spelling rather than Tetsusaiga.  
  
Sorry if that confuses people.  
  
And here's an ultimate question that probably plagues everyone's mind right now: Will Miroku show up?  
  
I'm not gonna tell yet ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
New Girl  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Your majesty, there is someone outside who requests a hearing for a work placement in the palace." An advisor announced from the doorway.  
  
Lady Inu stifled a yawn with her hand and nodded. "Show them in..."  
  
She had half a mind to turn whoever it was away. The palace was full of all kinds of workers already, and the chances of Sesshomaru sending more spies was high. Besides... she had the early morning grouchiness to account for...  
  
After a few moments the person requesting the hearing entered. Lady Inu glanced up and assessed her at once for her appearance. Young... attractive... very nice face and figure. She was dressed in dull work clothes that most young girls wore in the villages, her hair was tied back in a long plait down her back, but looked slightly scruffy and un-kept with wisps of hair coming loose here and there. White hair... fair skin...  
  
"My lady..." the girl went on her knees and bowed so deep her forehead touched the ground.  
  
Pity about her voice... Lady Inu winced slightly. It was a bit too high and shrill for her taste... making her sound much younger than she looked. But nobody was perfect. "You want a job here?"  
  
"Yes, my lady." The girl said without looking up from her bow.  
  
"What kind of job?"  
  
"Anywhere you can spare. I'm a good cook and cleaner... I could work in your kitchens... or I could work along with the maids." The girl sounded nervous and unsure of herself.  
  
"You may rise." Lady Inu stood from her throne and slowly walked a few steps forward. The young girl sat up but didn't look up at her. "Stand and look at me." Lady Inu told her firmly.  
  
The girl seemed to stiffen slightly at such an unusual request. To look at the queen in the eye was rude... but it would be rude to refuse her request. She slowly got to her feet and awkwardly lifted her gaze to meet the queen's, blinking uncertainly and darting her eyes away every few seconds.  
  
She had nice eyes... wide, innocent... eager to learn. If anything... this girl had an edge over both Kagome and Kikyo... She was stunning in fact. Lady Inu blinked in surprise as she realised this. 'Holy Hari, she's gorgeous!'  
  
"What's your name?" Lady Inu asked gently.  
  
"Urami... my lady..."  
  
"Interesting choice of name..."  
  
"My father was an interesting person, milady."  
  
She spoke politely, she had a beautiful smile... she seemed pleasant enough to talk to. Her voice didn't seem to bother Lady Inu anymore. She would be the perfect new bride for Inuyasha.  
  
"Urami... would you mind becoming a maid?" she asked the girl.  
  
"I would be most grateful, your majesty." She dipped her head in thanks.  
  
"For my son, I mean." Lady Inu smiled widely. "Would you like to be his personal maid?"  
  
Urami seemed to falter again and she darted a shocked look at the queen. "Y- You mean... wait on his highness...?" she was practically bubbling with excitement. "I-I'd love to! - I mean... if that's acceptable..."  
  
"You'll have the highest pay of any maid besides my own." Lady Inu smiled. "I'll get Sango to show you around. She'll give you your own quarters, but I daresay you'll be spending most of your time with my son."  
  
"Thank you, my lady... I had no idea of your generosity..." Urami bowed again.  
  
"You may go now. You'll find Sango milling around somewhere - she'll be the girl with the baby."  
  
Urami bowed her way out. Lady Inu sighed when she'd gone. Kagome had seemed the perfect candidate before... but considering she was already mated to a wolf man, she wasn't available to become the Princess or the next Queen for that matter. And beggars couldn't be choosers... Lady Inu was just going to have to make the best with what she had. Urami may have been a peasant girl - but she was just as pleasant as Kagome, if not more so.  
  
Everything looked like it was going to work out nicely after all.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
When Kagome slowly began to wake up... the first thing she became aware of was Inuyasha's own distinctive smell. She realised this was because she was sleeping in his bed... but for some reason it seemed stronger than normal. With a sigh she snuggled closer to the mattress and breathed in deeply, taking in the comforting scent.  
  
A slight shift in the bed made the quilt stir against her, and Kagome's eyes snapped open at once as she realised she wasn't alone in that bed. She sat up at once and stared at Inuyasha's turned back. Once more she didn't seem to be able to breathe, or maintain her heart beat normal pace... What was he doing in his bed?  
  
Kagome leaned over slightly to see his face and bit her lip anxiously. He was fast asleep, breathing deeply and steadily with his head bowed and his hand tucked under his chin. Kagome nearly allowed herself so go 'awww' but only just managed to stop herself when he rolled over towards her suddenly, to fling his arms out to the sides as she stopped on his back.  
  
His arms had just barely missed her... but if she stayed much longer than she was sure he would wake up... and be mad at her - just like last time. It was best to just get out of there before he woke up...  
  
Quietly, she slid off the bed and tiptoed her way across the room to the door, she slid it open and carefully slipped out without a sound. Once she'd closed the door again she finally allowed herself to breathe and started off in the direction of Sango's room... she needed to talk to someone - and if not Inuyasha, it would be Sango.  
  
But alas, when she arrived at Sango's room she discovered that the servant girl was already was already talking to a young female Inu Youkai. So seeing as she was busy with the new girl, Kagome decided to do something else in the mean time. She could always go see Kouga...  
  
Then again maybe not.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"The full moon?" Sesshomaru watched his spy intently. "His human night is the full moon, the one night the lunar cycle is at its strongest?"  
  
The man nodded numbly. "She told me... I don't think she was lying... I have never seen the Prince on the full moon night... never in all my years in the Southern palace."  
  
Sesshomaru seemed to consider this before leaning back in his throne. "Very well... we attack on the next full moon. Tell the men to prepare and recruit as many new warriors from the villages as possible."  
  
"Yes, my lord." The spy nodded.  
  
"And inform the other spies in the palace to get back to work."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Naturally, Kagome found Inuyasha under the tree beside the lake. His bow and arrows lay close behind him, but he'd evidently given up practising with them in favour of skipping pebbles.  
  
"Morning." She greeted with a smile as she came up behind him.  
  
"Afternoon actually." He corrected her shortly with a glance up at the position of the sun.  
  
"Right..." Kagome could sense his warning in the tone of his voice. He was tense about something... but she didn't know what it was about. Maybe he knew that she'd been in his bed all night...?  
  
A long rather awkward silence fell on them as Inuyasha continued to snap stones across the lake surface, skipping them much further than Kagome had ever managed. Meanwhile... Kagome tried to think of something conversational to say. She had something to tell him... she'd needed to tell it to him since yesterday, but the right moment never seemed to arise. She supposed now was a good a time as any.  
  
"Where were you last night?" Inuyasha asked expressionlessly, out of the blue, dragging Kagome from her thoughts.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
He carried on skipping stones. "Sango said that you didn't sleep in your bed last night. Where were you?"  
  
"Um..." she didn't know how to answer that one without making him mad at her.  
  
"Were you with Kouga?"  
  
"Yeah." She sighed, glad that he'd managed to think of an excuse for her.  
  
"Mm." Inuyasha grunted and carried on skipping stones, slightly harder than before. One even managed to get halfway across the lake before it sank. "Figures..."  
  
Kagome watched him with pursed lips. "Is something wrong? You seem a bit ticked off today."  
  
"I'm fine." He threw another stone so hard it missed the lake completely and embedded itself in Inuyasha's target practise tree on the opposite bank. Kagome assessed the damage before giving him a flat look that he caught. "I am! I'm just fine!"  
  
Kagome continued to stare at him.  
  
"What?" He barked at her defensively. "I said there's nothing wrong, so there's nothing wrong! Stop looking at me like that!"  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Like there's something wrong!" he snapped.  
  
"Fine..." she rolled her eyes and averted her gaze elsewhere. For some reason this didn't seem to pacify Inuyasha in any way.  
  
"What are you doing here anyway?" he growled angrily. "Shouldn't you be off with zit face?"  
  
"Kouga isn't zitty!" she jumped to his defence at once.  
  
"Do I care?!" Inuyasha snapped back and kicked the remaining stones into the lake angrily. "Why are you even here when your mate is over there?" he pointed towards the forest ahead of them.  
  
"Can't wait to kick... me... out..." she trailed off as she realised what he'd said. "Mate?"  
  
"Might as well kick you out. You're just a pest to keep around and you eat food so fast that it's MONEY going down your throat you know."  
  
"Hang on!" Kagome jumped to her feet. "Why are you just presuming Kouga is my husband?!  
  
"Presuming? I'm not presuming anything! I KNOW he's your fucking husband!" he shouted back.  
  
"I bet he told you that didn't he! That's just like him! He can't get me into bed fast enough so he just goes around and tells everyone that he already did! Typical male behaviour that is!"  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "Are you saying that you're NOT his mate?"  
  
"Not yet at least." Kagome sighed angrily and she flopped back down to lean against the tree. "He's so annoying when he does that..."  
  
Inuyasha watched with stumped surprise as Kagome's dark angry look suddenly flashed off her face and she sat bolt upright. "Oh! I have to tell you something before I forget!"  
  
"Go on..." he dropped down next to her, wary to keep his distance.  
  
"It's about your father."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "If you've been sent by ma to try and convince me he's dead then you better just march back to her and tell her to go screw-"  
  
"No - this has nothing to do with Lady Inu. Your father is very much alive in fact." Kagome said, turning to look at him seriously.  
  
Inuyasha's gaze froze on hers. "How would you know something like that?"  
  
"Because I saw it." She looked at her hands as she tried to remember. "That morning when Kouga arrived with his men - I was out for a walk down by the beach when I got another vision thing. It all went black and white and then I saw you making you're way up the rockies around the cliffs - but then I realised he wasn't you because he was wearing those cuff things that your mother said your father wore while he was King."  
  
Inuyasha had visibly stiffened up.  
  
"And well... then he turned around and I realised he didn't actually look like you... he looked more like Sesshomaru-"  
  
"How do you know what Sesshomaru looks like?" Inuyasha asked suddenly.  
  
"Oh..." Kagome struggled for another lie. "I saw his portrait in his room..."  
  
"You've seen his room? How did you know it was his room? When did you go in there?"  
  
"Stop making this difficult!" Kagome gave him a light push on the shoulder. "I'm trying to tell you something important."  
  
"Sorry - go on."  
  
"Well he was looking off behind me so I turned around and I saw a troop of human samurai coming towards us across the sands. There was this woman leading them... she was dressed in Miko robes, but I didn't see the colour... Anyway, they attacked your father and captured him inside this iron cage thing... and I remember that the woman said something about the Shikon no Tama - I saw her lips move to say it."  
  
She glanced up to gouge his response, but Inuyasha was still watching her quietly with a frown.  
  
"I think they captured him for the Shikon no Tama... I think this happened when he came back from retrieving the Shikon jewel from the warlord in Inaki." Kagome sighed sadly. "The last thing I saw was them carrying him to a barge moored on the beach... I would have followed but the vision ended before I could see where they were heading."  
  
"Samurai... do you remember their colours? Their emblems? Who was their lord?" Inuyasha asked quickly.  
  
"I'm sorry... I didn't see the colours." She touched his hand gently. "I don't remember their emblems... I'm really sorry."  
  
Inuyasha sighed deeply and squeezed her hand, causing Kagome to duck her head to hide her blush. "Don't be sorry... at least he's alive somewhere... maybe... at least I can rub that in Mom's face."  
  
"What a caring son you are." Kagome told him sarcastically.  
  
"I do try." He released her hand, which for some reason seemed to ease her conscience. She'd just been feeling a little guilty for Kouga... but why? She looked up at Inuyasha to see him watching the lake.  
  
"Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Mm..." he hummed without looking at her.  
  
"About Kouga..." she started, lowering her gaze when he looked sharply at her. She would have continued if they hadn't been interrupted.  
  
"Your highness!"  
  
They both looked towards the palace gates and saw a rather pretty girl heading towards them. Kagome recognised her at once as the girl Sango had been introducing to the castle, except now she wore slightly more expensive clothes... she looked more like one the maids now.  
  
"Yeah?" Inuyasha sat up as she arrived before them. Kagome gave him a slanted look to see how suddenly all his attention was focused on this girl.  
  
"Your Highness..." she bowed deeply, getting onto her knees. "My name is Urami... Her majesty the Queen has assigned me as your chamber maid."  
  
"Really?"  
  
Kagome was surprised to hear he didn't sound too upset about that. she glanced at him, annoyance creeping into her expression.  
  
"I shall do my best to try and serve you to the best of my ability." Urami sat up and smiled at him. "It will be an honour, your highness."  
  
"You can call me Inuyasha." He shrugged.  
  
"LORD Inuyasha." Kagome quipped quickly, eyeing the girl warily.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha... your mother suggested you might be so kind as to show me to your room... point out what you want cleaning and what you want left untouched."  
  
"Oh... sure..." Inuyasha stood up. "Let's go now then, yeah?"  
  
Urami smiled a dazzling little smile and rose to follow him.  
  
"Wait!" Kagome scrambled to her feet to grab his sleeve. "I want to tell you about me and Kouga. I-"  
  
"Oh yeah... him." Inuyasha looked bored and irritated. "Maybe later, I'm busy right now."  
  
He turned and walked off with the new maid, happily chattering away. Kagome watched them depart, seeing how the maid would laugh in a high tittering tone until they were gone from ear shot.  
  
"I just wanted to say... I don't love him anymore... and... I'm going to try and break off the engagement..." Kagome muttered, before leaning back against the tree with a sigh. Well... maybe she could tell him later...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Did you see that?" Lady Inu grinned happily and clapped her hands together. "They just hit it off!"  
  
"Who knew Inuyasha would be into the peasant type...?" Sango said softly.  
  
"Peasant or Princess, it doesn't matter - as long as he finds a bride and produces an heir - I'll be one happy grandmother... though it looks like I'll only be getting white haired grandchildren now..."  
  
"I don't know..." Sango cocked her head as she looked out the window and watched Kagome sitting under the tree, staring out over the lake. "He had a great rapport going with Kagome just then..."  
  
"Yeah..." Lady Inu sobered a little and looked down on the tree. "Bah... I don't understand Inuyasha these days... if only I could just crack open his head and see his thoughts."  
  
She caught Sango's stare.  
  
"Not in the literal sense, of course..."  
  
Sango looked away with another little sigh. "It's a shame she's engaged to Kouga... they would have made a nice couple. She may be Kikyo's cousin... but I don't think there could have been a more un-Kikyo like person in the world."  
  
"Well... Urami could probably give her a run for her money." Sango smiled. "That girl's really nice... really, really nice..."  
  
"I thought so." Lady Inu smiled. "Well... if we can't have Kagome we'll have to settle for the next best thing."  
  
"Yeah... Inuyasha's chamber maid." Sango grimaced. "Sounds like we're scraping the bottom of the barrel a bit though..."  
  
"I know, but what else can we do." Lady Inu shrugged. "This way they'll spend the most time together. She'll give him baths... wash his back... one thing will lead to the other and eventually she'll get pregnant and then they'll HAVE to marry."  
  
"Ew... I don't want to imagine that..." Sango pulled a face. "I'll go back to Fushi... he needs feeding soon."  
  
She left the Queens chamber and headed down the corridor at an easy pace, heading for her own quarters a few floors down. She was just passing through the entrance hall when she spotted Kagome coming in. At once she noticed the young princess looked a little down in the dumps. "Something the matter?"  
  
"Oh no... nothing..." Kagome fell into step beside Sango, not really caring about where she was going. "Just... I seem to have gotten myself stuck into a lot of problems lately..."  
  
"Really? What kind?" Sango asked casually.  
  
"Oh... you know..." Evil dead spirits stealing her soul, evil half-brothers feeding her poison, worries of when she would be able to obtain the Shikon jewel... worries of when she'd get that cure before her time was up... worries of what would happen when Sesshomaru attacked... what Kouga would do when she told him how she really felt... concerns about how amazingly interested Inuyasha seemed in the new maid. "Silly little problems... just teenage hormones I suppose... getting me down."  
  
"Poor thing..." Sango rubbed her shoulder. "I thought it might have been to do with Kouga."  
  
"Well... in a way it is." Kagome said flatly.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"I..." Kagome forced herself to say it out loud at last. "I don't love him... before I kept saying it again and again... but inside I kept doubting my words, thinking I was just saying them because I was hurt because I loved him beyond all reason. But now that I see him again... I don't feel the way I used to... I just feel... incomplete around him..."  
  
Sango stared at her. "What?!"  
  
Kagome jumped at her sharp tone. "Sorry - but I can't help it... I don't love him anymore... I'm not really sure I ever did if I can lose interest this quick... And I know this is bad! If Inuyasha doesn't give me to Kouga then he'll risk conflict with the wolf clans..."  
  
Sango was hitting her head repeatedly against the mental brick wall. She couldn't believe it... Kagome didn't love Kouga... she was available... and she and Lady Inu had just sold Inuyasha off to the new maid. Oops...  
  
"Don't worry about it." Sango said tightly. "If you don't want to be with Kouga, no one can force you. We can just wait this out... but don't go breaking up with him yet because he might attack us straight off, ok?"  
  
Kagome nodded grimly. She hated pretending... but if she had to pretend she still loved Kouga then... she would do it for Inuyasha's sake. "Ok..."  
  
"Ok..." Sango sighed and pointed to her bedroom door up the corridor they were travelling down. "Could you just go and feed Fushi - there she be some fresh milk on the shelf, just heat it up and feed it to him."  
  
"Why - where are you going?" Kagome blinked as Sango scuttled away.  
  
"I need to talk to Lady Inu!" Sango called over her shoulder before disappearing.  
  
Kagome shrugged indifferently and carried on her way to feed the baby. All the while, in her mind she was trying to find logical reasons why Inuyasha had suddenly hit it off with Urami. Reason number one: Urami was simply the best looking Inu Youkai, Kagome had seen on that island so far...  
  
And she was going to stick with the reason. Inuyasha liked the girl based purely on her looks... she probably had a horrible personality... under the surface...  
  
But Kagome was worried.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Urami's my character - I own her, she's my bitch, I can do whatever the hell I want with her ^_^ She's so dead...  
  
Anyway, it's now ten to five in the morning, and even though I'm in no way tired, I really think I should go to bed now. Au revoir! 


	13. Fanning Flames

AN: Wow... you all seem to think Urami is a spy...  
  
Anyway, unfortunately Shippo won't be making an appearance in this story, only because I can't seem to find the right place to stick him in, so he'll just have to sit on the benches for this one.  
  
Though Miroku will eventually turn up... I hope...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Fanning Flames  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
It was definitely a strange sensation, waking up in a strange bed... with no familiar or comforting smell... other than the slightly musty smell of feathers beneath her. Kagome yawned as she rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. After a while she got bored of that stimulating activity and roamed her gaze down to look at the opposite wall. On the other side was Inuyasha's room, where presumably, Inuyasha would be. With or without his spiffy new maid was beyond Kagome.  
  
She hated to admit it, but Kagome was getting jealous of the attention Urami was receiving already. Last night after she'd come back from Sango's quarters she had tried to speak with Inuyasha again, mainly about Kouga... but he hadn't been interested and had brushed her off rather indifferently.  
  
Kagome rolled back onto her stomach and pressed her face into the pillow. She was so confused... she didn't know what to do. She didn't know what she was feeling inside anymore... other than the imminent feeling of doom that she'd fail in oh so many ways. One mistake and she was dead...  
  
Suddenly someone singing from outside pulled her from her brooding. "She's my ray of shine... My only inspiration... And even though she's mine... I can't resist temptation..."  
  
"Kouga..." Kagome whispered into her pillow before slipping out of bed and heading towards the window. She pushed it open and stepped out onto the balcony outside, that stretched all the way around the palace like an outdoor corridor. She stepped up to the rail and leaned over to look down. She grinned when she saw him. "Kouga!"  
  
"Someone strangle the bleeding cat!" Came a grumpy yell from the next room over.  
  
"Mornin' Princess." He threw up the bouquet of flowers he'd been holding for Kagome to catch. She didn't need to fake her smile or blush when she raised it to her nose to inhale the sweet smells.  
  
"Thank you, Kouga." She called back down. She plucked one of the flowers from the bunch, kissed it, and sent it back floating down to Kouga who caught it deftly.  
  
A flowerpot suddenly pitched from nowhere, sailing towards Kouga, but he saw it coming and dodged aside before it could hit him. It harmlessly smashed against the ground at his feet and both Kouga and Kagome shot accusing looks at Inuyasha who was leaning against the balcony rail a little further up from Kagome outside his room. He saw both their glares and shrugged. "What? My hand slipped."  
  
"Kagome - say you'll come down to the camp today." Kouga asked, ignoring Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome faltered slightly. "I... uh... I dunno Kouga... I'm a bit busy."  
  
"Please - I miss you."  
  
Ok, now he was sounding needy. "I'll see, Kouga." She said allusively, not committing herself to any promises. She saw him trade a narrowed glare with Inuyasha before looking back at her. "Ok then... I'll see you later then."  
  
"Bye Kouga!" she waved slightly as he shot away at whiplash speed.  
  
"Young love..." Inuyasha sighed with a cheerful smile, glancing across at Kagome. "It just... makes me want to grab a bucket and lose my breakfast."  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes discreetly. He still had no idea. She'd just obviously avoided a meeting with Kouga, and he still didn't get that she wasn't interested in the wolf anymore. "You're just jealous because you don't have anyone special like that."  
  
"Of course I have someone special who brings me flowers on a regular basis." Inuyasha said casually, leaning on the balcony and looking away from her.  
  
"Who?" Kagome asked quickly, maybe a little too quickly.  
  
Inuyasha grinned. "My gardener."  
  
"Oh of course..." Kagome almost sighed in relief. For a minute there she was almost expecting him to say Urami.  
  
"And Urami." Inuyasha got a slightly distant look in his eyes. "Do you know how good my room smells now that she cleans it up and puts smelly stuff in there?"  
  
Kagome's fingers clenched the rail tightly. "I have to go." She turned quickly and headed inside, not before she heard the distinctive call of Urami's voice from inside Inuyasha's room.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha! Do you need any new clothes - I've just brought some from the seamstress!"  
  
Kagome frowned deeply as she slammed her window shut and moved swiftly through her new room to exit into the corridor. She wanted to go speak to Sango... or Lady Inu... and the chances were that they were in the throne room. Kagome headed down there, eager to get away from both Inuyasha and Urami. Even though she wasn't particularly sure she could trust them alone.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well this changes things..." Lady Inu murmured against her hand as she stared off into space.  
  
Sango carried on cleaning with her dusting cloth... it was unbelievable the amount of dust that could settle around the throne room overnight. "I heard her with my own ears... she doesn't want to mate with Kouga anymore - she never was mated in the first place I believe."  
  
"So she's still a maiden and available..." The Queen shifted to rest her chin in her upturned palm. "Well... seems I was a bit hasty in assigning Urami..."  
  
"Urami would still make a nice bride though." Sango stopped her work to look back at the queen. "She's beautiful and kind... pit about the voice."  
  
"That's what I thought..."  
  
"Perhaps she'll grow out of it in time." Sango shrugged and continued dusting. "But there is also the small matter of her being a peasant girl from the villages..."  
  
"But she's of pure Inu Youkai blood." Lady Inu sighed. "If they can accept little old me as a queen then I am sure they'll accept one of their own, no matter where she was born - barn or bedchamber."  
  
"I suppose..." Sango said evenly. "But Kagome doesn't want to go with Kouga... if we take Urami then Kagome will have to go with him. If we take Kagome then we'll have to send Urami back to her village... and that's just plain mean."  
  
"So the main question is... Kagome or Urami?" Lady Inu frowned in thought. Personally, she had tendencies towards Kagome - but she realised that she could just be biased because she was human. "Hmm..."  
  
They both looked up suddenly as the doors to the throne room opened and they saw Kagome entering, using her back to push the door since her arms were full with holding Sango's son. "Sango... I think you just lost another babysitter."  
  
"What?" Sango blinked at her.  
  
"The matron who was taking care of her left as I arrived in your room... she said something about demon children crying with less volume than this one..." Kagome bounced the child slightly, smiling at him. "I think he was hungry so I fed him."  
  
It seemed to have worked because now Fushi was quiet, but alert and awake. Sango smiled at them both while Lady Inu quickly began to scribble a score chart on a scrap of paper. One point to Kagome for being good with children. She waved the paper at Sango, discreetly so Kagome wouldn't see, and smiled slightly when the servant girl rolled her eyes.  
  
Kagome glanced up at Sango. "Do you want him back now?"  
  
"Uh - no. You keep him, he seems happy where he is." Sango said, quickly getting back to work.  
  
"So Kagome..." Lady Inu hid the paper in her robes. "Sango tells me that you're having doubts about Lord Kouga?"  
  
Kagome glanced at Sango who was suddenly very engrossed in her dusting. "Maybe..."  
  
"It's just that..." Lady Inu shifted uncomfortably. "If you don't want to leave with Kouga next new moon when the bridge opens... then we don't want to force you."  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
"And since Kouga will most likely attack us anyway if we all survive the battle with he North, then you don't have to go with him to hold the agreement between our people. Don't feel pressured to remain with him."  
  
"Thank you..." Kagome said again, stroking Fushi's head.  
  
"But..." Lady Inu took a deep breath. "Don't feel pressured to stay with Inuyasha either."  
  
"Pressured?" Kagome blinked. "I wouldn't feel pressured at all! I'd love to stay and..."  
  
It occurred to her that she might have said too much... come over as a little too eager... but Lady Inu smiled nonetheless. "Good. Then you can remain here for as long as you like... just don't tell Kouga that until after any battles with the North."  
  
"Ok." Kagome sighed with a small smile of relief. She was being invited to stay for longer than she'd originally thought... but that would probably make no difference in the long run. She had a feeling she would have to leave the kingdom at some point, either to hide from Naraku or of because some other complicated matter involving Kouga, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru.  
  
Then another girl entered - Urami to be precise, she was smiling (as usual) and was holding a tray. "Morning milady, morning Sango, Lady Kagome." She nodded in greeting to all of them before setting the tray down on the table beside the Queen's throne. "I made you some treats."  
  
"Oh, Urami, you didn't have to!" Lady Inu cooed.  
  
"But you've been so hospitable and kind - I have to repay you in any way I can!" Urami giggled. "Please, help yourself."  
  
Sango came over to take a biscuit and hummed her appreciation as she chewed. "Wow... this is good..."  
  
"You're quite the little cook, Urami." Lady Inu complimented the girl who blushed and bowed. "Thank you, your highness."  
  
Kagome stroked Fushi's back a little faster as her eyes narrowed slightly. Eventually she had to force herself to look away or give her feelings away.  
  
  
  
"Where did you learn?" Lady Inu asked conversationally, secretly adding a little point to Urami on her score card for her ability to cook.  
  
"Oh you know... when my mother died and left me in charge of the family, I had to cook for them every night since I was six." Urami sighed sadly, but still smiled. "And if I didn't my father would beat me... But now that he's remarried I can work in the palace for money to support them while my stepmother looks after the family. Though I do worry while I'm gone... she isn't the kindest mother in creation."  
  
She was obviously playing for the sympathy vote and Kagome could only grit her teeth with irritation, as Lady Inu added another point to Urami out of sympathy. Besides... that was nothing compared to what Kagome had endured in her village.  
  
"Anyway, must be going, I have to find Lord Inuyasha and tell him the blacksmith has restored Tessaiga as best he can, milady. Bye now!" Urami chortled as she trotted out of the throne room.  
  
"What a nice girl..." Sango smiled as she chewed her biscuit, but suddenly caught the dark look Kagome was giving her. "I mean... what a bitch."  
  
Kagome's terse expression dissipated as she realised she was being silly. She sighed and handed Fushi gently back to his mother. "I'm off to see Kouga... see ya..."  
  
Sango and Lady Inu waited with patient quiet until Kagome was out of the room. Then they burst into conversation. "Did you see that?" Sango gasped at the queen. "The look on her face?!"  
  
"She's jealous!" Lady Inu clapped her hands with delight. "This is perfect!"  
  
"How can this be perfect?" Sango suddenly frowned. "Inuyasha's attracted to the wrong girl."  
  
The queen just laughed. "If you think he's attracted to Urami then you don't know Inuyasha as well as you think you know him."  
  
"How so?" Sango stared at her.  
  
"Inuyasha's always had his problem with contradicting emotions and actions." She shrugged. "He snaps and jerks around the people he cares most about and is mostly just polite to people he doesn't know, or feels indifferent about."  
  
"Polite? Are you sure?"  
  
Lady Inu sat in silence for a moment. "Well... about as polite and nice as he can get."  
  
"So..." Sango was hooking on. "You're saying he doesn't like Urami as much as we think he does...?"  
  
"Precisely. What I'm hoping is that he's just being nice to her to get back at Kagome for being with Kouga." Lady Inu rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Yes... I think that's the case."  
  
"Well... wither that or he's head over heels in love with Urami and doesn't give a fig about Kagome and Kouga."  
  
"We'll see." Lady Inu stood and walked to the window. "But for now... make sure you fan the flames of jealousy. That always brings out people's true feelings for one another, may they be love or indifference, it will show."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
When Kagome went down to the tree later on that day... she saw it was already occupied by Inuyasha and Urami. They weren't doing anything to make her jealous except talking... but the fact that Urami was now infringing upon her and Inuyasha's personal tree made the anger and jealousy sear through her.  
  
This girl had come from nowhere and was somehow managing to win over Inuyasha faster than Kagome had. Much faster. If Kagome had actually been planning to seduce Inuyasha then she would be up the creep and screwed completely.  
  
Something inside her told her that this girl had to be evil. She was either a minion of the devil himself (aka. Naraku) or a spy of Sesshomaru's. She had to be a spy... there was no other explanation for her sudden intrusiveness. But there was only one way to be sure that she was right.  
  
"Hey Urami..." Kagome announced cheerfully as she arrived.  
  
"Oh, Hi Lady Kagome." Urami bounced to her feet, leaving Inuyasha's side as she faced the other girl. "How are you today?"  
  
"I'm... fine... thank you..." Why couldn't this girl be scathing to at least one person. Kagome wouldn't have minded if that person had been her.  
  
"This is nice, I was hoping to talk to you some time." Urami clasped her hands behind her back. "You seem so nice and pretty... and human women seem to be the most interesting people I've met. I'd really like to get to know you better."  
  
Well... now Kagome felt a little evil, but she still didn't like the happy- go-lucky girl any more than she had done. "Thank you..." She glanced past Urami to see Inuyasha watching them both with a neutral expression, but she could have sworn she saw amusement dance in his eyes before he turned away.  
  
"You have such beautiful hair too... can I touch it?" Urami asked bluntly.  
  
Kagome stared at her... "Uh..." she hated people touching her hair. "Oh - you seem to have a dirt smudge on your cheek!"  
  
"Oh!" Urami's hands flew to her cheeks. "Where?"  
  
Inuyasha glanced back up at the girls suspiciously, knowing that there was no smudge on anyone's cheek.  
  
"Here - let me." Kagome licked the sleeve of her kimono like a mother would do, and used it to scrub Urami's cheek as the girl tilted her head to the side to give her access.  
  
No stripes were showing... no makeup covered her skin... so Kagome scrubbed harder, furiously trying to find some proof that the girl was evil.  
  
"Has it gone yet?" Urami asked as the scrubbing continued for a little longer than necessary, making her cheek slightly pink.  
  
Kagome scrubbed a few more times before stepping back and forcing a smile. "All gone."  
  
"Thank you Lady Kagome." Urami smiled and touched her cheek delicately. "You know, at first I thought you'd dislike me, but you're really a very nice girl. All human girls must be nice."  
  
"Ok..." Kagome said slowly. "Um... Lady Inu summoned you back to the palace."  
  
"Really? What does she want me to do?"  
  
"Uh... clean Inuyasha's room." Kagome hazarded an excuse and saw that Urami accepted this without question. She was so trusting.  
  
"Ok, see you later, Inuyasha. Goodbye Lady Kagome."  
  
Kagome waited until she was sure the girl was from ear shot, taking into account that the girl probably had better hearing than the average human. Then she slowly sat down next to Inuyasha and looked out over the lake, her body language making it clear to him that she was annoyed. "I see you're both on a first name basis."  
  
"Yeah... we are aren't we..." he smirked slightly, but Kagome didn't notice.  
  
But it was clear to Inuyasha that she was jealous. He may be a little slow in some areas of understanding, but he recognised jealousy when he saw it. He'd experience enough dealings with jealousy around Kikyo and Naraku. He leaned back against the old willow tree with a smug smile and a cross of the arms. Good. She was jealous. He liked that.  
  
Kagome glanced sideways at Inuyasha and frowned at his cocky pose. "What's the matter with you?"  
  
Inuyasha grabbed a random excuse. "Any guy who just scored would be this happy."  
  
Kagome's fists clenched with anger. "Great... at least one of us is."  
  
"Meaning?" Inuyasha snapped his head around to look at her sharply.  
  
"Meaning I'm not." Kagome said seriously, looking down at her knees. "It's over... I don't love Kouga anymore. When this is all over I don't plan to go with him... but... I'm glad to see that you won't be alone when this is all done and dusted."  
  
Inuyasha watched her sceptically. For some reason he felt even happier than a few moments ago. He'd thought there had been something fishy with Kagome's attitude towards Kouga that morning. "You seemed to like him well enough earlier. You blushed."  
  
"Well... I still like him... but I don't love him."  
  
"Do you lust after him?"  
  
"No!" Kagome pulled a disgusted expression.  
  
"Did you ever lust after him?"  
  
"Well..." She stopped herself short. "What's with the questions? Why're you so interested?"  
  
"I'm not!" Inuyasha jumped back defensively. He just couldn't believe his luck. Kouga didn't own Kagome. That fact alone made him happy. "Weren't you supposed to go see him today?"  
  
"Well yeah... but then I changed my mind and went for a walk along the beach again..." Kagome glanced at him. "That's what I came here to talk to you about."  
  
"About your walk on the beach?" Must have been some walk.  
  
Kagome reached into her kimono and pulled out a folded piece of paper. She handed it to Inuyasha who opened it silently and looked at what was on it. After a moment he looked up at Kagome, with a blank expression. "You drew me a seagull?"  
  
"No!" Kagome gasped in annoyance. "It's a Koyoshikin."  
  
Inuyasha looked at the picture again. "But it's a bird right?"  
  
"Yeah, a little one."  
  
"Hey - when you turn it upside down it looks like a harvest mouse!"  
  
"Gimme that!" Kagome snatched it back and turned it the right way up. "It was the bird on the emblem of the samurai I saw."  
  
Inuyasha blinked and snatched the paper back. "You sure?"  
  
"I walked down the beach and had another flash - I saw the emblem clearer this time... but it was shorter than the last flash and I didn't see where they went. But their emblem was round... and it had a little sewn picture of a little bird perched on a stick - and by the markings I swear it was a Koyoshikin."  
  
"A Koyoshikin on a stick was the emblem?" Inuyasha watched her carefully. "Are you certain you're sure?"  
  
Kagome nodded. "Does it mean anything to you? Do you know which warlord it is now?"  
  
Inuyasha didn't say anything as he folded the paper and slipped it inside his sleeve. Kagome watched him with curiosity as he tucked her picture away before smiling gently at her. "What would I do without you?" he squeezed her shoulder and leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead.  
  
Kagome was still in stiff shock and blushing like a mad thing, as he stood up and began walking back towards the palace. She finally managed to snap out of her shock as she scrambled to her feet. "Where are you going?!" she called after him.  
  
"I know where to find him now!" he called as he walked backwards and waved to her. "Thanks Kagome!"  
  
"You're leaving?!" Kagome gaped at him.  
  
"I'll be back!"  
  
Famous last words. Kagome watched him with disbelief as he walked through the palace gates and out of sight. When he was gone she bit her lip and grasped the tree for support. Lady Inu was not going to like this...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Ok, Next Chapter - 'Father's Son' 


	14. Father's Son

AN: Grab the tissues before you read this - my disclaimer warning!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Father's Son  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Inuyasha - please be reasonable about this!" Lady Inu held her skirts up as she hurried after her son. Kagome followed at a safe distance along with Sango.  
  
"He could still be alive, I can't just ignore this!" he snapped his shoulder.  
  
"Of course you shouldn't ignore this - but at least postpone it for a while!" She exclaimed. "Sesshomaru will attack at any moment now - you have to stay here in case he attacks - and if he learns you're gone now then he surely will attack us all and give us no mercy."  
  
"He didn't find out last time." Inuyasha pointed out as he burst through the palace doors and slipped down the steps, heading towards the stables. Lady Inu continued after him, despite her being shoeless.  
  
"Well he might find out this time - I'm serious Inuyasha! If you leave us you leave us all to perish!" she yelled.  
  
"And if I go and bring him back then there will be no war whatsoever. Sesshomaru won't attack Dad." Inuyasha pushed past the stable hands to grab the reins of his horse.  
  
It was looking like Lady Inu was losing the argument again. "Think about this Inuyasha!"  
  
"I have thought about it." He shrugged at her as he started gearing up his ride without the help of the stable hands.  
  
"We need you here!" she ground out.  
  
"I won't be gone for long."  
  
He wasn't listening to her at all. He was bent on leaving and short of knocking him unconscious and tying him up, there was little she could do to stop him. And like she had the power or will to do something like that. With a growl of irritation that resembled Inuyasha's in a way, she pivoted on her heel and stormed back towards the palace. She paused briefly beside Kagome and Sango.  
  
"Why don't you have a go Kagome, see if you can talk some sense into him." Lady Inu said shortly. Kagome gulped slightly and tiptoed off towards Inuyasha. Lady Inu turned to Sango. "Make sure nobody else in the palace finds out he's gone. If anyone asks, he's just down in one of the villages visiting... someone. Ok? I don't want any spies getting a hold of this."  
  
Sango nodded obediently as the older woman swept past her on her way back up the steps, wincing a little as she stepped on little sharp stones with her bare feet.  
  
Kagome sidled up behind Inuyasha and smiled tightly when he turned to give her a suspicious look. "Let me guess... Ma told you to convince me to stay?"  
  
"Yeah... so... blah, blah, blah, you shouldn't go and risk war while you're gone, you're being selfish and so on, et cetera..." Kagome sighed... "But I can't stop you and no one else can either... so I just want to say good luck, and I hope you find him."  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise. "Thanks... I guess..."  
  
"And..." Kagome clasped her hands together. "You're taking me with you."  
  
Inuyasha snorted. "Yeah right, good one Kagome."  
  
"I'm serious!"  
  
"You are NOT coming with me!" he told her bluntly as he positioned the saddle onto the horse's back and fastened it on tightly with the straps across the horse's chest and flanks.  
  
"Oh please - you'll barely know I'm there!" Kagome smiled as she pleaded.  
  
"Of course I'll notice you there if you're sitting right pressed up against..." he stopped himself. "Of course I'll know you're there!"  
  
"You don't have to take me on that horse - I can take my gelding." Kagome pointed back at the brown horse that was listening intently to the discussion.  
  
Inuyasha gave her a flat dead look. "Oh in that case, no, no and NO!"  
  
"Oh come on!"  
  
"You are not coming - and you are definitely not going to bring that monstrosity along." Inuyasha glared at the horse who snorted contemptuously back at him.  
  
"Oh please...?" Kagome slipped in between him and the stallion, making him stop in his tracks to regard her. "If I don't go with you then all I'll have to talk to will be Sango, your mother... and mostly Kouga. You know he'll drop by more regularly when you're out of the picture."  
  
That made Inuyasha hesitate and almost change his mind about leaving her. Almost. But he had more pressing worries. "Kagome... if I take you with me then I'll put you in all kinds of danger."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Just shut up and listen to me for once." He cut her off. "You saw those samurai on the beach. Did they look dangerous to you?"  
  
They HAD taken down his father none too gently... "A bit..."  
  
"And the Miko?"  
  
She had been the main person to neutralise Lord Inu... Kagome hadn't recognised her... but she had looked incredibly powerful, maybe even as powerful as Kikyo had been.  
  
"I guess..." Kagome sighed with disappointment. "But I really want to go with you." She really wanted to see if his father had the Shikon no Tama... if so, she would be able to hide from Naraku.  
  
"You can't, you'll just have to stay here." He gently, but firmly moved her out of the way so he could swing himself into the saddle.  
  
Kagome swallowed her dismay and pasted on a weak smile. "Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?" he glanced back down at her with a frown.  
  
"Take care please..." she said quietly, feeling her cheeks heat up. "And bring him back to your mother."  
  
Inuyasha's heart warmed to her even more. He smiled again and ran a hand over her hair as he moved off, messing it up as he did so. "See you when I get back, Kagome."  
  
He stopped his horse beside Sango as Kagome irritably straightened her hair back to its original style. He leaned down and jerked his thumb towards Kagome. "Keep an eye on her... keep her out of Kouga's sight. I don't want to get any horrible surprises when I get back."  
  
Sango gave him an exaggerated wink. "Got ya."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head at her before spurning to horse into a run. First he had to go collect Tessaiga from the blacksmith, Toutousai, and then he'd hopefully manage to swipe one of the barges the wolf men had used to reach the island, in order to reach the mainland.  
  
From there he would head straight for Hinohara country to pay the warlord a little visit there.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"So how are we doing?" Lady Inu asked Sango who pulled the list from her kimono.  
  
"Um... well it's four - three to Kagome."  
  
"You gave them both more points?" Lady Inu looked at her with interest.  
  
"Well... I gave one to Kagome because of her fierce loyalty for Inuyasha - as shown when he was leaving - and another because she has a nicer voice that Urami, but then I gave one to Urami because she was more glamorous."  
  
"And the fourth point for Kagome was...?"  
  
"Um..." Sango twiddled her fingers. "I thought she and Inuyasha make a cuter couple..."  
  
"Valid reason enough." Lady Inu inspected the little tally chart for a moment before ripping it up and tossing the pieces over her shoulder. "That settles it then. Kagome it is."  
  
"What about Urami."  
  
"She can stay in the palace... and meanwhile we can use her to bring Inuyasha and Kagome closer together - and in no time at all I'll have my grandchildren!"  
  
"Do you think..." Sango began tentatively. "... lord Inu will see his grandchildren too?"  
  
Lady Inu fell silent. She didn't answer... because she didn't know the answer.  
  
  
  
  
  
_  
  
  
  
  
  
The palace belonging to the Warlord of Hinohara was probably one of the grittiest palaces in the land, even though it belonged in one of the largest countries around. But that's what happened when corrupted power got a hold of the throne.  
  
For some reason Inuyasha felt very tense and vulnerable as he slowly made his way towards to reinforced timber gates of the palace. It was raining again... and when it rained at this time of year it didn't just rain, it poured it down. Inuyasha was already soaked from head to toe and the cold was beginning to take its toll on him, but it would all be worth it if his father was inside that palace.  
  
The guards at the gate saw him coming and quickly straightened up and steadied their staffs, blocking his way. The last thing Inuyasha wanted to do was stop out in the rain to get even wetter, but because it would probably just be quicker to do what they wanted, he stopped a few feet from the gate. Peering through the rain he could just about see the two guards were samurai, wearing jade and black colours... with emblems of little birds on their chests.  
  
These were definitely the samurai Kagome had seen.  
  
Then suddenly they both seemed to recognise him. "What are you doing out here?!" one suddenly snapped.  
  
"Who let you out?" the other barked, both advancing on him while drawing their swords.  
  
"I'm Lord Inuyasha, I'm here to retrieve my father." Inuyasha snapped, stopping them both in their tracks. He quickly added another sentiment. "Pillocks."  
  
The guards looked at once another before one of them came to his side. "There be no Lord Inu here - be off with you scruff!"  
  
"Who said his name was Lord Inu?" Inuyasha shot back.  
  
The guard spluttered for a moment, realising his mistake, before he managed to find his voice again. "Leave here now."  
  
Inuyasha's patience was already running thin due to the rain and the long journey, and it ran out on the guard unfortunately. With a violent jerk, he grabbed the man by the lapels and literally lifted him up off the ground to shoulder height. The horse beneath him shifted uneasily with the sudden addition of weight, but at least it stayed put (more than Kagome's gelding would have done).  
  
"Tell your lord I am here, and then I will decide whether or not I leave." Inuyasha told the man evenly before dropping him again. "Quickly, before I completely lose my patience with you all."  
  
The guard straightened proudly before marching off through a side gate, muttering things he didn't presume Inuyasha could hear. "The lord will decide whether you leave or not... not you brat..."  
  
Inuyasha ignored him and ran a hand over his face, wiping away as much of the water from his eyes as possible... but it wasn't very effective. He needed to find shelter soon.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"My lord... there is a young Inu Youkai at the gate," the wet guard announced as he bowed before the warlord.  
  
"Send him away. We already have another young Inu Youkai." The warlord laughed, causing his attendants to laugh in example.  
  
"He... he claims to be the Youkai's son." The guard said hesitantly. "He wants to see his father."  
  
"His son?" the warlord sat up and smirked. "As in the little Prince Inuyasha? Send the toddler away."  
  
The guard gulped. He didn't want to displease his lord. "He's no toddler..."  
  
"What do you mean?" The warlord demanded sharply.  
  
"He... he's a young man..." the guard told him, head still bowed.  
  
The warlord looked thoughtful for a moment. "Send him away. If he resists, get the Miko."  
  
"Yes, my Lord." The guard bowed again and headed out of the room.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha's patience was growing even thinner than before, if that was at all possible. He did not like being caught out in the rain, with water trickling into his ears that made him want to just hang upside down for a while until it all trickled out again. Other than have a glaring contest with the samurai standing around the gate, all he could do was just stand by his horse and wait.  
  
He partially wished he could have brought Kagome along, just for her company alone. But once again, her safety came before his social comforts, so it was best that she stay home. He wondered what she was doing at that precise moment...  
  
It was late night... so she was probably asleep curled up in her warm... dry... toasty... lavender smelling bed. Inuyasha just about managed to hold back a sneeze.  
  
Bitch.  
  
The small side gate opened and the guard he'd threatened before stepped back out, followed by a young woman wearing dark robes and dark jewels in her dark hair. Something about her made the fine hairs on the back of his neck stand up (a difficult task when ever hair on his head was plastered to his back and neck).  
  
"The lord doesn't grant you permission to enter these premises. Leave." Was the guard's simple statement.  
  
Inuyasha had just spent a whole day and night travelling none stop to come here. Telling him to piss off was not going to go down well. With a snarl Inuyasha grabbed the not-so-little man and dangled him up in the air again. "Well you better just go back in your cosy little palace and tell the fucking lord that I am NOT leaving until I see my-!"  
  
A cold, but dry hand suddenly reached out and touched his wrist, sliding the palm down along his forearm, pushing back his sleeve as it went. Inuyasha snapped his gaze to the woman beside them, just as he felt a strange almost static charge pass through his arm and through his body. If his neck hairs had stood up before, that was nothing... now his whole scalp crawled with a mixture of apprehension and foreboding.  
  
Her hand lingered on his arm, squeezing him slightly as a small smile crept onto her expressionless features. Not really a smile though... more of a smirk. Somehow she seemed to be the only person out there that wasn't drenched by water. It was like the rain miraculously managed to miss her.  
  
Something told Inuyasha not to mess with her. She seemed even more dangerous than Kikyo.  
  
Inuyasha dropped the man without hesitation, and whipped his arm out of her grip. He glared at her a moment before turning and swinging himself back onto the saddle to ride away without a word.  
  
"Well that took care of that problem quite nicely." The Miko smiled to herself before heading back through the gate.  
  
"What a coward..." the samurai sneered at the retreating Prince.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha took the horse off the road the minute he was out of sight of the guards at the entrance. He knew he wouldn't be able to get through the gate, not with the Miko there to stop him... so he'd just have to go round another way.  
  
He quickly tied his horse to a tree by the reins and darted off through the forest, heading away from the gates, to the perimeter fence further along. They weren't on the look out for him, having expected him to have run away in fear of the corrupted Miko, so it was a fairly easy task to scale the fence and jump down on the other side without being seen. Inuyasha slipped between the individual buildings on the inside of the fence, heading vaguely in the direction of the main building, the palace, where his father would probably be.  
  
Occasionally he had to stop and hide behind a corner when little bands or pairs of samurai came marching along in the rain... But the minute they were gone, he was off again.  
  
As quickly and quietly as possible, he ducked in through the doorway of the main building and ran down the passage, leading deeper inside the structure, hoping to catch a scent of his father at some point.  
  
He rounded a corner and came skidding to a halt, nose to nose with two samurai. They stared at him for a moment before both snapping to the same assumption the guards at the gate had. "How the hell did you get out?!"  
  
Before they even had a chance to raise their swords from their belts, Inuyasha's hands swept out and cracked their heads together. Unfortunately, this wasn't the movies and they didn't pass out... just looked a little dizzy and teetered slightly. Inuyasha sighed, mentally noting the thick skulls of human idiots before punching one in the stomach and backhanding the other around the brow, knocking both unconscious... or worse.  
  
Not wanting to alarm anyone else of his arrival, he stuffed the two men into an empty room to his side, before proceeding on.  
  
He stopped the moment an old familiar scent reached his nose. He turned his head slightly, trying to decipher the location of the source... before he was off again, racing down the corridor, regardless of who he bumped into.  
  
He literally slid to a halt outside a set of Shoji sliding door and at once notice the whole door was plastered with large, fierce looking ofuda charms. He tried to reach out to touch the door, but the energy spiked and crackled around his hand... a lot more painful than when the Miko had touched him. He hissed in pain and pulled back a moment, mulling over what to do.  
  
Inside he could hear movement, heavy clumsy movement of human guards... but he could also smell his father...  
  
He wouldn't give up, not when he was this close, not when his father was on the other side of the door. So with a determined expression he bore through the pain and knocked on the door.  
  
"Who's there?"  
  
"Come out here, the Warlord wants to speak to you." Well it usually worked.  
  
Footsteps sounded inside and he tensed up in anticipation. The door pulled back and one lone samurai looked out at him shrewdly. "What does he want to- "  
  
Inuyasha's fists smacking into his jaw cut off his words, and the man reeled back, his eyes rolling up into his head as he tipped backwards.  
  
Inuyasha was past him in a flash before he'd even hit the ground. But he stopped dead once more when his gaze fixed on the one person he thought he'd possibly never get to see again.  
  
But his father looked a little odd.  
  
"Dad...?" Inuyasha's heart was in his throat, as he cocked his head slightly and stepped towards the wrought iron bars in the middle of the room, stretching from the floor to the ceiling to enclose a little pen area. His father sat on the floor in the middle of the iron cage, eyes closed as though he was asleep. He wore the similar colours of black and red that Inuyasha's always seemed to wear these days... and the weird thing was...  
  
He looked a couple a years younger than Sesshomaru.  
  
Inuyasha stepped forward again, purposefully. "Dad-"  
  
"Stop, Inuyasha." His father seemed to snap awake at once, his gaze on Inuyasha's feet.  
  
Inuyasha followed his eyes and looked down, to see little trip wires as thin as hairs lined up a few inches above the floor, all the way around the cage.  
  
"Don't trip up now... I've seen those wires take of many people's feet." His father told him with a humourless smile.  
  
Inuyasha stepped over the trip wires without hesitation and crouched at the bars. "I'm gonna break ya free... we're gonna go back to the island together."  
  
"Is that the way I taught you how to speak?"  
  
Inuyasha reddened slightly. "So be it... let us just get going, shall we?"  
  
His father grimaced. "Oh... don't bother... you just sound constipated."  
  
"What happened to your face?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. "Where'd all the wrinkles go?"  
  
"It's just an illusion." His father said quietly. "You don't want to see my real face right now."  
  
"It doesn't matter..." Inuyasha stood and began to pull at the bars. "I'll break you free, we can get outta here once and for all."  
  
"Inuyasha... don't waste your energy." His father took a deep sigh.  
  
He looked back down at the older man and frowned. "Why not?" when his father didn't answer he crouched down and reached through the bars to grab his father's sleeve to get his attention. "What's the matter, dad?"  
  
"Promise me something...?" Lord Inu asked.  
  
Inuyasha waited for it.  
  
"Promise me you'll take my throne... you're my heir... my only heir."  
  
"No..." Inuyasha shook his head. "No, I don't have to - I've found you now - you can be King again and save me the hassle..."  
  
Lord Inu said nothing. "I'll give you the Shikon to take back with you... I've been guarding it from the Warlord... it is what has been keeping me alive for the last few months... Take it, it's yours, from Kikyo."  
  
"But... if I take..." Inuyasha suddenly glared at him. "No way! You are keeping that jewel until I get you to some help!"  
  
Lord Inu glared stubbornly at his son before reaching into his robes and pulling out a pale pink jewel that could have been made from tinted glass. Without much warning he rolled it through the bars to Inuyasha and gave him a plain look as if almost to say 'so there, make me keep it'.  
  
Then he fell backwards, his youthful appearance melting away as he slumped gently to the ground.  
  
"Dad...?" Inuyasha grabbed the bars to urgently see him. "Pa!"  
  
With a growl of effort he managed to tug two of the bars loose and slipped inside the cage to crouch beside his father and grab his shoulder. Well... all he could think of was how right Lord Inu had been about concealing his true appearance.  
  
He was so battered, bloody and bruised that Inuyasha had a hard time associating him with the strong, lean man who'd left the palace just over six months ago. He was, in appearance... over fifty at least... but now he looked even older... and much weaker.  
  
"Dad..." Inuyasha heard him drag in a suffering breath and winced. "Please hold on..."  
  
But his father would always be too stubborn to do as he said. Lord Inu lightly touched Inuyasha's forearm. "Tell your mother... I love her... tell Sango... she's still my best daughter..."  
  
"I will..." Inuyasha said... feeling strangely hollow inside.  
  
"Oh... love you too by the way." His father smirked at him. "But only if you take... my throne... and Tessaiga..."  
  
"That's a nasty bribe." Inuyasha told him.  
  
"It'll work... won't it?" Lord Inu closed his eyes. "If you see little Sessho... tell him... I'm disappointed, but... I still love him."  
  
"I won't." Inuyasha said bluntly.  
  
"Oh well... I didn't... really expect you to." Lord Inu swallowed with some intense difficulty. "I know I can trust you to take care of them all... you've always been good to Sango... your mother..."  
  
A long pause stretched out... Inuyasha just waited for his father's ragged breaths to just stop. But he still held on. Obviously having more to say.  
  
"Just... promise me... I'll get Grandchildren?"  
  
"I promise," Hopefully, one day he would.  
  
"And... I just want to say... before I go..." his father frowned slightly. "Kikyo was... and always shall be... a bitch..."  
  
A horrible lump had formed in Inuyasha's throat, and he was having a hard time swallowing past it. He quickly pulled his father into a tight hug, wishing that if he held on tight enough then his father wouldn't be able to go anywhere.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Lord Inu sighed.  
  
The ragged breathing stopped and everything was deathly quiet. Inuyasha tensed slightly as the silent room around him seemed to drone with... silence...  
  
Ever so slowly he lowered his father down from his embrace, half surprised that the injuries had vanished, and Lord Inu looked now, in death, more like his usual self. Still... he looked unhealthily pale and thin... but at least Inuyasha could look at him without pity, which was probably what Lord Inu had intended.  
  
He probably didn't want to let Lady Inu see the state he was in.  
  
Inuyasha was having trouble breathing, and the lump in his throat wasn't going away. He took a few steadying breaths before standing swiftly and moving to snatch up the Shikon no Tama.  
  
This jewel had cost a lot of people their lives... people dear to him. He wanted nothing more than to destroy it, or just toss it into one of the lakes outside the palace. He didn't care that it was a beloved relic from Kikyo... Kikyo was dead... Kikyo had betrayed him...  
  
Inuyasha jammed the jewel into jacket and glanced back down at his father.  
  
"Look what you did to him." A soft female voice said from the doorway. Inuyasha spun back around and fixed an intense glare on the dark Miko. "I was coming to torture him for the jewel... I suppose I'll just have to torture you instead, puppy."  
  
Inuyasha's hands were trembling with an overwhelming anger. His cheeks felt itchy... and when they felt itchy it meant the demon markings were appearing on his face... The usual pattern after this would be to lose control. His demon blood would feed off the anger he felt... and he would only be normal when he was no longer angry.  
  
He would NOT lose control now of all times. And blindly, he groped to his side to draw Tessaiga, the itchiness fading at once. He was glaring so intently at the Miko, bent on getting his vengeance... that he didn't realise the sword transformed.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sesshomaru watched Urami carefully. "Are you sure?"  
  
"I couldn't find him anywhere in the palace, and when I asked the Queen's hand servant, she told me that Inuyasha was in one of the Southern villages." Urami clasped her hands nervously behind her back. "I later heard the queen and her servant talking... apparently Inuyasha has left the island completely. And they don't expect him back from the mainland for a week at least."  
  
Sesshomaru quirked a tight smile on his face. "Is that so?"  
  
Urami nodded quickly.  
  
"And where is Tessaiga?"  
  
"He told me he doesn't like to use it. He likes his own ordinary katana. I think he's left it at the blacksmith."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, my lord..."  
  
"Good." Sesshomaru stood from his throne and brushed past her. "With Inuyasha gone, and the Tessaiga parted from him, then the South is ours for the taking."  
  
"But what about the wolves?" An advisor asked from beside the throne.  
  
"What about them?" Sesshomaru sneered. "They're all pretty pathetic."  
  
"But their leader..." Urami spoke up. "He's amazingly fast and strong."  
  
"So one good warrior in a motley crew." Sesshomaru wasn't impressed. "Still... Inuyasha is gone... he's the leader - with him gone then Tessaiga won't be used against us. We could stroll up to the gates without much resistance."  
  
Urami gulped visibly as Sesshomaru locked his gaze back on her. "Now... my favourite little spy... go back to the Southern palace and tell them you were off visiting your 'family', yes? But don't worry, you won't be alone soon..."  
  
He turned back to the advisors. "Inform the men to prepare for invasion. We'll move in soon... and we'll destroy everything in our way."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well you all though Urami was a spy... well... you were right. ^_^ Next chapter - 'For Hate' 


	15. For Hate

AN: Here's the REAL chapter 15 - sorry about the mix-up and sorry about the wait ^_^ Just discovered I failed my art exam, weird since that's supposed to be my best subject beside English (but surprisingly, I'm still a cheerful little sod today) and I'm having a job interview tomorrow for a place at my local Waterstones book store (a fitting place to start a career in writing I think ^_^).  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
For Hate  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome let out a little puff of a sigh as she let her head drop forward to rest against the window of her room. The cold glass chilled her forehead as she rolled her head from side to side, trying to chase away her bad thoughts. She was in no way tired... though that was strange since she had been worrying herself into a state of hyper-concern over Inuyasha's welfare - with all reasoning she should be exhausted. Where the heck was she pulling the energy from to turn into an Insomniac.  
  
God... she hadn't even been this bad when Kouga had disappeared without much warning - off to war. And here Inuyasha had just gone to pick up his father and she was fretting like he'd marched off to get hanged.  
  
Kagome's eyes had at some point glazed over and she no longer focused on what lay in the palace grounds before her. Instead she noticed the rivulets of water that streamed down the window - not in little droplets - but covering the window completely in a thin sheet of water, making everything beyond the glass smeared and blurred.  
  
A lash of thunder streaked in the distance, followed a few seconds later by a rumble of thunder. Kagome did the little calculation in her head that her grandfather had taught her and reckoned the lightning must have been a couple of miles away... probably (and hopefully) frying Sesshomaru that very moment.  
  
Movement through the blurred window caught Kagome's attention and she peered more closely to see below. She could just about make out the flickering torches below in the courtyard, shielded from the rain by little covers... and in the light she could just about make out the vague image of a white haired person getting off a horse.  
  
For one elated moment she thought it was Inuyasha - until she realised the horse was brown, not white... and slumped back with disappointment. It was Urami returning from her village on Kagome's gelding. That had ticked Kagome off quite a bit. Urami had taken the horse without even asking permission... though Sango had reasoned it was probably only because Urami had thought it was a palace horse free for the taking.  
  
Urami had left yesterday... two days after Inuyasha's departure... Why couldn't Inuyasha have come back first? Then she could have enjoyed an Urami-free time with Inuyasha - and possibly meet his father and the Shikon.  
  
Kagome sat in silence for quite some time, various different thoughts running through her head...  
  
"Oh that's cute... you miss him." Naraku's voice made her jerk around to face him.  
  
"Why don't you arrive outside and then knock?!" Kagome hissed angrily. "Then maybe I wouldn't get so jumpy!"  
  
"You were just thinking about him, weren't you?" Naraku sounded amused. "Particularly the way he walks... you like his walk?"  
  
Kagome reddened instantly. "That's good... here's another. I'm thinking of a number between one and a hundred..."  
  
"You're sweet, Baby, but don't get too attached. Why haven't you killed him yet?" Naraku stepped forward towards the moonlight lit square before her and the window. He stopped before he stepped into the light, remaining in the Shadow. "I wonder what could be taking so long..."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
The only sound that really greeted Inuyasha as his horse slowly plodded between the lakes towards the palace gates, was the sound of the rain hitting the ground with a rapid pattering sound. The grass beneath him was so waterlogged that the horse was having trouble walking through it, seeing as it's hooves sank down a couple of inches into the mud.  
  
Ahead of him he could see the sentries at the gates looking out at him, while a few other runners had been sent back inside the palace, probably to inform his mother of his arrival.  
  
Inuyasha expected to feel a pang of concern for his mother... a pang of sadness... but he found himself emotionally spent. He just stared dully at the path before him while tensing a hand on his father's back, to keep him from slipping off the horse.  
  
By the time Inuyasha drew to a stop just below the steps to the entrance of the palace, Lady Inu and Sango came hurrying down the steps, regardless of the heavy rain. They both stopped halfway down, the moment they saw Inuyasha and the body across his lap wrapped in a large white bedding sheet.  
  
The complete tense silence around him as Inuyasha slowly dismounted was almost unbearable. The guard's heads were all bowed in deep respect... as it didn't take a genius to figure out who was wrapped in the white sheets.  
  
Sango was frozen to the spot, looking as white as a sheet with a trembling hand pressed against her mouth as though she didn't trust herself not to scream. When Inuyasha slowly pulled his father from the horse to carry him into the palace, he was stopped as his mother arrived before him, blocking his way.  
  
She was just as pale as Sango as she timidly reached out for the edge of the white sheet to push it back from over Lord Inu's face. She looked at her husband for a moment, almost calmly before stepping aside. "Take him in..."  
  
Inuyasha moved off up the stairs as Sango brushed past him on her way to his mother. His steps faltered slightly, half from the burning pain of a wound on his side, and half because he heard his mother begin to sob freely behind him.  
  
He just went on inside out of the rain where servants were already waiting to take Lord Inu off his hands. "Please Lord Inuyasha... allow us to-"  
  
"I can manage." Was Inuyasha's curt reply. He ignored their offering hands and walked on. But the pain in his side was increasing the longer he held his father... and his father was not a light man.  
  
He'd only managed to walk a few metres before he began to falter and had to stop.  
  
The servants were at his side to steady him. "Let us take him, your majesty..." the kept saying quietly.  
  
They took hold of his father's body and gently tried to pull him away. Inuyasha was reluctant to let go, almost feeling as though they were deliberately trying to rob him of his father. But eventually the pain in his side won over and he had to let go.  
  
He let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding as he was all but pushed out of the way, and slumped against the wall to slide down, unaware that he left a smear of his own blood behind him. The servants took his father off to gods no where, and after a while Lady Inu passed him, clinging to Sango while they both cried softly.  
  
If Inuyasha continued to just sit there the rest of the night, he'd bleed to death by morning. So he slowly forced himself to his feet and headed off to find Urami to tend his wounds. He reached the bottom of the stairs when the Captain of the Guard stopped him.  
  
"Lord Inuyasha... what happened...?" the man asked carefully, taking in the Prince's bedraggled appearance, the rips in his clothes and the wounds that showed beneath.  
  
"He was hostage." Inuyasha shrugged simply. "I got there, he died, I brought the palace down."  
  
"Literally?" the guard looked surprised.  
  
It had only taken one swing. With that he'd ripped the Miko in half and crumbling the foundations of the building itself. Everything after that had just been a domino effect. He'd managed to get out just in time, like a lot of the humans as the main palace had come down... then the other buildings around it had collapsed in as bits of the palace fell outwards.  
  
Most had gotten out... but not everyone. And those who had been trapped by rubble... Inuyasha didn't feel in the slightest bit sorry for them. He wanted to know how Tessaiga had suddenly turned so powerful... but he didn't remember what he'd done to transform the blade. It had changed back pretty quickly after the first swing.  
  
"You did well, your majesty." The guard bowed humbly. "You're brought his body back to be honoured at least."  
  
Inuyasha stared at him, the vague thought of licking the man's neck like Kagome had suggested flashed through his head, turning his thoughts back to the girl in question. He excused himself and pressed a hand against his bleeding wound to try and stem the flow as he headed up the stairs to the rooms. If anything, he wanted to see Kagome more than Urami. She'd understand, she'd be comforting, and her voice wouldn't grate on his nerves and worsen his headache.  
  
He only vaguely realised that he actually wanted Kagome's comfort... a long time ago he hadn't even wanted that off his own family or Sango when Kikyo had died. It felt strange... but as long as no one knew it, he would allow himself to want it off Kagome.  
  
Besides... he had a little present for her.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Kagome... little Baby..." Naraku stepped around the moonlight from the window to lean against the wall beside it. "What could possibly preventing you from killing Inuyasha."  
  
Kagome turned her thoughts to something less suspicious in case she thought too loud for him to hear. Instead, she fixed her thoughts on something random... pond weed.  
  
"It couldn't be love... could it?" Naraku sneered.  
  
Kagome's fists bunched against the cloth of her night clothes. "No. There have just been a few complications..."  
  
"Like what? Pond weed?"  
  
"No... there's a servant girl for Inuyasha... her name is Urami." Kagome glanced up at him. "Not a friend of yours is she?"  
  
"Never heard of her." Naraku said evenly.  
  
Kagome cursed mentally. So she wasn't a Naraku underling either... god... how depressing to know Urami wasn't evil.  
  
"So what has she got to do with anything?" Naraku prompted.  
  
"I'm afraid..." Kagome sighed, for once allowing herself to express her true feelings... even if it was to Naraku... "She might be getting under Inuyasha's skin more than I have... I'm afraid he might prefer Urami than me..."  
  
"One slutty little maid mustn't stand in our way, Baby." Naraku said shortly.  
  
"She isn't a slut..." Kagome whispered.  
  
"I don't care." He snapped. "I an running out of time Kagome. You and I have a bargain. You kill Inuyasha and then I'll release your soul the second he dies. If I run out of time before you do the deed, then your soul will never be free."  
  
"I know!" Kagome barked. That worried her. She was never going to kill Inuyasha... NEVER. Her soul would never be free again... but soon he might return with the Shikon and then she could at least hide herself and her soul from Naraku. She only needed a few more days at least, until he returned. She just needed more time, and she had to get Naraku off her back until then.  
  
"When are you going to kill him Kagome?!"  
  
"Soon!" She hissed back angrily. "I'll kill him soon! I'll seduce him, I'll flirt, I'll do anything it takes - I'll be your little princess of darkness and I will kill him before your time is up or whatever. I want my soul back - I'll do this - so don't think I won't. Now bog off until I do it - you just make me nervous!"  
  
"There's my little hissy fit baby." Naraku smirked under his baboon mask. "Just don't forget..."  
  
"How could I forget...?" Kagome said spitefully and slumped back against the window.  
  
Naraku chuckled and shuffled away from her. "Good... I'll see you again when you commit the murder... or else I'll appear to you when my time is up - to tell you I'm dragging you back to hell with me. That's what happens when your soul is mine... you'll be with me forever... for eternity..."  
  
Kagome shivered as he disappeared, and hugged her knees tightly. She'd never have to go anywhere with him if she had the jewel. The jewel was her life line...  
  
Inside the jewel was a piece of the soul of one of her ancestors... that's why the jewel had landed itself with Kikyo. And if Kagome had the jewel, she'd be able to tie her soul to herself again, and Naraku would never find her essence again in whatever plane of existence he lived in.  
  
Outside Inuyasha leaned against the wall outside her bedroom door, staring at a mark on the wall opposite him. He'd just heard the entire conversation... and he recognised Naraku's voice. There was no one in heaven, earth or hell that possessed such a smooth talking tone. Naraku had used it to entrance Kikyo and poison her mind...  
  
And now he was talking to Kagome. About killing him.  
  
Inuyasha pushed off the wall and absently tried to brush his sopping wet bangs out of his eyes. He needed to dry off... he needed a bath... he needed a someone, probably Urami, to tend his wounds - he had a rather pesky one on his back that he couldn't reach from where a rafter had fallen on his back in Hinohara palace.  
  
Urami's voice might annoy him a little, but it would be worth it, she was a gentle worker and would take care of him. Then after a good night's sleep he would be able to work out Tessaiga's secrets and probably attend his father's funeral.  
  
The people outside looked on in surprise as they saw their prince exit the palace and head straight out the gates through the rain, obviously having some destination in mind.  
  
He eventually stopped by the lake and pulled the Shikon no Tama from inside his ripped jacket. He stared at it blankly a moment before pulling back his hand and launching the small bead into the air. He watched it through the screaming torrents of rain until it met the surface of the lake and disappeared for good.  
  
He stared at the spot it had disappeared neutrally, ignoring the rain that hammered against his skin almost painfully. He had planned on giving it Kagome... but...  
  
Now he wouldn't. It was as simple as that.  
  
As he made his way back to the palace he wondered briefly on whether he should have his father buried or cremated...  
  
Oh yeah... and whether he should have Kagome hung or beheaded.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Sorry I have to leave it there, I know this chapter is shorter than usual, but I have to start my homework now. I'd delete the second chapter fourteen but it isn't showing up in my account... I swear I only posted the one chapter. I haven't a clue what's going on... so just ignore the double chapter thing for now ^_^ 


	16. The Truth

AN: Ok, this chapter is much longer than the last (to make up for short chapter fifteen) Sorry about the cliff-hanger and all! ^_^;;  
  
Anyway, just watched the Shining for the first time and now I'm scared to go to bed in fear of my Dad hacking me to pieces in the night... Now there's a way to put me in the mood for writing at late hours again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
The Truth  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I don't believe it..." Sango whispered to herself, staring dully at the ground before looking up again at where Inuyasha sat on the bed holding Fushi in his lap. "Are you sure?"  
  
Inuyasha just gave her a flat look that told her she'd asked a stupid question. Sango bit her lip and closed her eyes. "I can't believe Kagome was capable of such a thing..."  
  
"Well get used to it. She's got the same blood as Kikyo running through her veins - the Higurashi family is all the same. Ulterior motives and weak minds." Inuyasha shrugged. "That's two girls now in that family that have fallen for Naraku's mind games... it seems death by beheading doesn't seem to last as long as it used to."  
  
Sango glanced across at him. He spoke so calmly without a hint of venom or anger. "How do you feel about this...?"  
  
"What do you mean?" he glanced back at her as well.  
  
Sango sighed. Of course he knew what she meant, he was just stalling. "I mean - why aren't you mad at her? This girl is the second girl to come along and try and kill you. If I were you I'd start getting paranoid about my choice of women."  
  
Inuyasha shrugged again, passing Fushi gently back to his mother as Kiroi the big black dog entered, followed by a much small Kirara. "Kagome was never 'my choice of woman'." He told her simply. "I'm not mad."  
  
Sango seemed wary. Inuyasha didn't take betrayal well. When Kikyo had betrayed him... he'd obviously been upset... if something minor like a horse betrayed him, he'd get mad anyway. Sango would have thought... if Kagome had betrayed him, Inuyasha would have done something along the lines of tear down half the palace in a blind rage.  
  
Maybe she'd been wrong thinking he did care for Kagome after all...  
  
"Where's Kagome now?" Sango asked dully.  
  
"She's out of the palace right now. But when she comes back I'll get the guards to apprehend her." He bent down momentarily to scratch Kiroi behind the ears. He cocked his head thoughtfully. "To keep things on schedule... we should probably execute her tonight - so that it doesn't interfere with dad's funeral. Yeah, that should work out nicely. That way Ma will be too stricken with grief to notice."  
  
Sango jumped to her feet angrily, glaring down at him. "How can you be so cold about this?!" she demanded. "Doesn't death mean anything to you?"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged, standing up as well so she couldn't tower down on him anymore.  
  
"Your father just died and all you care about is keeping things in order!" Sango hissed. "Now you plan to execute Kagome when she gets back from her walk with Kouga - aren't you upset?! Why aren't you hurting? Your father just died and Kagome just betrayed you - she's been betraying you all the time apparently!"  
  
No anger or misery showed in his expression and he sighed with a light smile. "I don't feel anything Sango... and I can't break down and cry like I know you want me to because I just don't feel the need to waste my energy like that. I have to take care of the throne now."  
  
"What...?"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I've got my proof that there is no King now... that means I will have to take the throne or else Sesshomaru will have it." He pulled a face. "Frankly, I don't have time to mess around worrying about funerals and executions."  
  
Sango, on the other hand, had plenty of time to worry and cry. It all became a little to much for her. Kagome turning out to be a traitor... Lord Inu being rescued only to die shortly before she got a chance to see him... Inuyasha finally taking the throne and a war on the brink of converging at last...  
  
She slumped back down to the bed, holding a shaky hand over her eyes as her shoulders began to shake with small quiet sobs. The baby in her arms obvious picked up on his mother's distress and began to cry as well, but much louder than Sango. She quickly tried to soothe him but she was juggling between bouncing her son and wiping away her tears futilely. Inuyasha turned away shortly and left the room, heading for the throne room.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"What's the matter, Kagome?" Kouga's voice brought her back down to earth.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"You seem a little distant today." He remarked as he stocked the little campfire.  
  
Kagome cast her eyes around the make-shift shelters amidst the trees and the other wolf-men going about their business. "You're all preparing for battle..." she commented, noticing the weapons they were tending.  
  
"We'll be ready when the time comes." Kouga smirked. "With the South on our side we'll beat the North into the ground. Then me and my men can confront the south and that Inuyasha bastard."  
  
"Inuyasha isn't a bastard." Kagome said quietly.  
  
Kouga didn't care. "Whatever. He fucking dared to touch you - he deserves to die - it's obvious you're my woman, didn't you tell him?"  
  
Kagome was on a short fuse after her conversation with Naraku last night. "No, I didn't tell him Kouga because I am NOT your woman." At the blank look he gave her she panicked. She'd been told not to break up with him until after the war. "I mean... I'm not your mate... yet..."  
  
"Still... my claim is as good as a mating bond." He cracked his knuckles. "When I found him he wreaked of your scent. It was like he'd smothered himself on you."  
  
Kagome sipped her little mug of water and glanced innocently at the fire, deciding to avoid that topic. "Are you sure you'll be able to beat Inuyasha after the North has been defeated... that is... IF the North is defeated."  
  
"Of course we can. His forces will be weakened."  
  
"So will yours." Kagome pointed out.  
  
"Oh yeah..." Kouga scratched his head. "Guess we'll have to wait a while."  
  
And in that time Kagome would dump him and remain at Inuyasha's palace, hopefully.  
  
Suddenly Kouga sighed and pulled her against his side on the log they sat on. Kagome stiffened slightly, before having to force herself to relax. "I'm really sorry Kagome... this is no place for a girl to be at a time like this..."  
  
"What?" Kagome glanced up at him in surprise.  
  
"This is all my fault that you've been dragged into this mess. If I'd never left you, you wouldn't have come across that bastard Inuyasha who dragged you here to be his concubine."  
  
He seemed to have forgotten already that she'd told him she WASN'T anybody's concubine. She sighed and rolled her eyes as he continued. After all... it WAS all his fault that she was in this mess. Because of him she'd been a fool and sold her soul... and now she was having to wade her way through pure hell to get it back. She could also blame it on him that she had poison in her body that would strike her down in two months or so.  
  
"If I could turn back time I would have just brought you with me so that I wouldn't have to make a deal with dog-turd to get you back." Kouga told her.  
  
"Oh... how... thoughtful of you." Kagome said flatly. Right then all she wanted to do was go back to the palace and see if Inuyasha was back yet. He might have the Shikon with him... then she'd be on her way to salvation. All she'd have to worry about then was getting the cure to Sesshomaru's poison.  
  
She sort of had everything planned out. Sesshomaru had said he would bring the cure when he arrived. So she'd get the cure and then hopefully Sesshomaru would be defeated with the combined forces of the South and Kouga's men... and then she could be with Inuyasha...  
  
She sighed happily at the thought of a happy life, but all happy thoughts fled from her mind when Kouga turned his head to her and suddenly captured her lips with his. Kagome pulled back at once, causing him to frown. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Um... it's just... um..." Kagome started to slide away from him down the log, out of his arms. "I just... have to go back to the palace - I think I hear Lady Inu calling me!"  
  
She bolted from the camp, leaving a clueless Kouga behind her. She ran through ankle high grasses of the meadows, heading towards the palace and the two lakes. But just as she was passing the gap between them she stopped... and slowly turned to her left, looking out over the lake to her side.  
  
It was almost like a thrumming vibration filled the air around either her, or the lake, she wasn't sure. She glanced around, particularly at the lake on her right, but didn't get the same feeling. Turning back to the left lake she frowned, wondering what the heck it was... before it disappeared and she felt nothing but the warm humid air and damp grasses that wetted her socks.  
  
Almost with a shrug, she headed on towards the palace and smiled at the guards as she passed. She failed to notice the glances they swapped with each other, or the way they began to close off the gate after she'd entered the palace grounds. She did however notice how quiet everyone seemed to be... she didn't understand that... they all looked unhappy and tired.  
  
Before she went on into the palace she made a point to check the stables... and to her delight she spotted what looked like Inuyasha's personal white stallion. She could barely contain her glee. He was back! She couldn't wait to see him. In her mind they had been too far apart too long, and hopefully he would be happy to see her too.  
  
She scurried off back inside the palace, and headed straight for the throne room, hoping to find either Lady Inu or Inuyasha, maybe even Sango by chance. But when she arrived there, she only noticed the guards stationed around the room as per usual, and a few of the Royal advisors gathered around the little discussion table beside the throne. They looked up when she came in and traded dark looks.  
  
"Excuse me..." she called to them, looking around. "Is Inuyasha back yet?"  
  
There was a long pause before the tallest Inu Youkai advisor drew himself up and turned to her fully. "He is."  
  
"Great!" Kagome smiled cheerfully, briefly glancing at the glass case at the side of the room... before having to do a double take. Tessaiga was gone still... and so were the Royal cuffs that solely belonged to the King alone. She'd heard from Sango that whoever picked up the cuffs after the King set them down... would automatically become the new King. It didn't apply to women, so Lady Inu couldn't be ruler the same way as her husband.  
  
But Kagome sincerely hoped and prayed that it was the King wearing them again. Perhaps Lord Inu was back with his son and that's why his cuffs were gone. Kagome couldn't wait to meet him.  
  
Without much other word to the advisors she turned and ran towards the doors leading into the corridor outside.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
She looked around suddenly, to see Sango stepped through the back entrance of the throne room, looking unusually pale and weary. But mostly, right then, she looked worried as she gazed at Kagome.  
  
"Sango - what's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost." Kagome smiled for her friend, walking towards her. Sango didn't warm to her condolence.  
  
"Is it true?" She asked bluntly as Kagome approached, causing Kagome to stop a few metres away.  
  
"What?" she looked like she'd missed something vital here.  
  
Sango stared at her hard, her eyes searching, trying to find the trace of the traitor bitch that Inuyasha had seen. She didn't find anything... all she saw was a warm young, innocent girl. It just wasn't possible... there had to have been some kind of mistake. Even the best spies and traitors always showed some kind of malice... but Kagome showed none.  
  
Suddenly she looked past Kagome as someone new arrived, with a dozen or so guards filing in primly behind him. "Sango, go back to your duties. My mother probably needs you by now."  
  
Sango didn't move, but Kagome suddenly spun around with a smile. "Inuyasha! You're back - you don't know how much I... missed..."  
  
She trailed off as she saw the layout before her. Inuyasha was wearing black, and more black. Normally he wore at least some red to go with it... but now he looked a little strict, and his expression barely held any kind of emotion other than a slightly shrewd frown.  
  
She glanced at the guards behind him. "What's wrong...? Why are you..." she looked at him. "Inuyasha... did you find your father?"  
  
He barely batted an eyelid. "He's dead."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome's breath hitched in her throat. "I'm sorry..."  
  
"It's alright. You didn't kill him." He almost spat the word 'kill'. Kagome flinched slightly. She realised he must have been wearing black in grief... just like the guards and a lot of the workers around the palace were doing. She'd only just realised that now.  
  
"Are you ok...?" Kagome stepped forward timidly, unnerved at the way he seemed so calm and collected. If she'd just found out her father was dead she would have been locked in her room and crying. Actually... she probably would have been cheering and cracking open the sake. But Lord Inu didn't seem like the type of father her own father was.  
  
A small humourless smile graced his lips, though it didn't reach his eyes. "Oh I'm perfectly fine thank you. At least... I am now."  
  
Kagome didn't know what to make of him. He was acting so strange. She guessed people dealt with grief in different ways. She took a closer at him and suddenly realised he was wearing the King's cuffs.  
  
If that meant what she thought it meant... he was the new King of the Southern Kingdom. She smiled suddenly and bobbed towards him. "Inuyasha - you're the King, I'm so proud of you!"  
  
She'd reached out to touch his arm in a friendly manner, but she'd barely gotten within an inch of contact when his other arm lashed out and knocked her hand away painfully. The metal cuffs on his forearms being much harder on her than a normal blow.  
  
That would bruise tomorrow... she hissed in pain and clenched her arm, glaring at him. "What was that for?!"  
  
Inuyasha made a simply forward gesture with his hand to his guards behind him who quickly stepped past him towards Kagome. "Lady Kagome, you'll be escorted to the dungeon for the rest of your life. You'll be executed quickly and painlessly by beheading at midnight, during my father's funeral. Sorry I won't be around to watch."  
  
Kagome stared at him, completely slapped speechless. If he'd punched her in the gut it would have had less of an effect on her heart. In fact... she felt like he's just pushed past the physical boundaries of pain and gone straight for the mental. "What..." the guards grabbed her arms and began pulling her away. "Wait - what are you doing?! Let go of me! Inuyasha - why are you doing this?! I demand an explanation!"  
  
"That's funny, it should be me saying that, not you." He glared at her.  
  
"Wha..." Kagome struggled for reason. "I don't get it... what did I do?"  
  
"What did you do?" Inuyasha's amazing control was beginning to slip... along with his mask. "You want me to tell you what you did? What you were going to do?"  
  
Kagome had never seen Inuyasha this seriously angry at her. It scared her slightly, even more so that the guards had stopped and they were holding her in place so she couldn't run away as Inuyasha advanced on her.  
  
"You know... I thought you and Kikyo were alike at first. Same face and body and all..." he shrugged. "Except maybe she had bigger breasts."  
  
Kagome's jaw had fallen and she stared at him, lips apart.  
  
"But then rather quickly I thought that you were like night and day." He smirked at her. "I thought the one girl on this earth that couldn't possibly be more like Kikyo was her COUSIN!"  
  
Kagome flinched as the volume of his voice rose.  
  
"But now I realise you're just as weak and pathetic as she was!" he spat, giving her a push that set her loose of the guards' hold on her. She staggered back slightly, backing away slowly as Inuyasha stalked her back towards the wall behind her. "Naraku poisoned her mind through bargains too."  
  
Kagome's blood ran cold and the feeling of her stomach contracting in fear and panic jolted her. And imminent sense that she'd just caused too much damage to repair struck her. Her eyes stung and she belatedly tried to blink back the tears.  
  
"Go on... cry all you want. It only proves you're weaker than Kikyo ever was. She just got mad and blew the place up! You'll just cry and go spastic on me with those visions! Don't try too hard to be her Kagome!" he gave her another shove that sent her bumping against the wall at last.  
  
"Please..." Kagome shook her head slowly, finding it hard to see him through the haze of moisture. "... please understand..."  
  
"You're in no position to make requests. Save that for the last request before you're beheaded, Kagome!" He  
  
snapped cruelly, pulling her back up by the front of her kimono when she began to sink down the wall. "You fucking stop snivelling this instant and listen to me!"  
  
Kagome gave a breathless sob. She'd screwed up... she'd totally blown her plans... she deserved to die. "Inuyasha... please... I didn't mean for this to happen..."  
  
"What? For me to find out that you were scheming behind my back with Naraku?" he slammed a hand against the wall, just beside her ear, making her half scream in surprise as the stone cracked behind her head. "That you planned to seduce me and kill me?!"  
  
"No!" Kagome yelled back, between sobs. "My soul-!"  
  
"He has your soul?! I know! I heard it all last night!" he slammed another fist on the other side of her head, causing the stone to break off in chips around her. "You have your reasons - and I have mine! I don't care whether you were doing it for the good of humanity! You fucking lied to me - you conceited, filthy little bitch!"  
  
He drew his fist back, ready to punch a hole right between the last two hits - right through her head. And maybe he would have if Sango hadn't thrown herself at him. "HEY! HEY!!" she grabbed his arm as hard as she could, snapping her other hand around his ear.  
  
She was no way near strong enough to stop him from doing what he wanted to Kagome... but her voice and intervention was enough to snap Inuyasha back to the real world. He pushed Sango off him angrily and pulled back slightly from Kagome who immediately sank to the ground, trembling.  
  
The emotional armour slammed back into place on Inuyasha, snapped up and locked down. He turned away with the same mask as before and gestured to the guards. "Take her down to the dungeons and don't let her out again. Let her be executed in there."  
  
Kagome didn't even have the will to struggle now. She was still reeling from fear and shock that Inuyasha felt so strongly against her. It scared her.  
  
At that moment she was more upset at the fact Inuyasha despised her more than her own imminent death...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"What's the men's status?" Sesshomaru asked his advisors.  
  
"At their rate we'll be ready to march and converge on the border by tonight at the minimum. Tomorrow at the latest." One advisor told him with a humble bow.  
  
"Good..." Sesshomaru smirked. "And Inuyasha is still in the mainland."  
  
"Urami has not sent any word that he has returned."  
  
"Perfect." He turned and swept towards the doors of the throne room. "Tell the first wave to prepare at the gates, prepare to march on my order when the rest are ready."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
The tears had long dried on her face, and Kagome was having trouble thinking of other things, otherwise the tears would just begin again. Her cheeks were already sore from the wet trails, she didn't need to cry anymore.  
  
Suddenly there was a knock on the door and it creaked open heavily, to allow Sango entry. "Kagome..."  
  
"Sango?" Kagome sat up as best she could, a difficult task when her hands were chained up beside her head against the wall. "Sango please - you have to listen to me - I didn't plan on killing anyone - you have to believe me Sango-"  
  
"I know... I... I believe you." She crouched down beside the grubby girl and reached out with a soft silk cloth to dry the tears on her cheeks. "It's ok... don't cry anymore..."  
  
"I can't help it... he hates me..." Kagome began to shake with small sobs. "I don't know what to do... I never intended to kill him..."  
  
"Then why did you come? Why did you say all those things to Naraku's ghost?" Sango drew her hand back slightly.  
  
"They were just words Sango... I hate him as much as you and Inuyasha do... I just said all those things to get him away from me."  
  
"Is it true he has your soul?" Sango whispered.  
  
Kagome shook her head weakly. "He doesn't have it - but he owns it. I need ownership back... he told me to kill Inuyasha in order to get it back..."  
  
Sango stared at her.  
  
"I'm sorry... I've been so selfish, I've done so much harm... I'm really sorry..."  
  
"It's ok." Sango quickly leaned forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I know you never meant to hurt anyone... it's not your fault."  
  
"I wanted to Shikon... I could use it to hide from Naraku... Inuyasha's father was supposed to have it... I just need to hold it against my skin and I'll be free from Naraku... and soon he'd be gone... back to the underworld without me." Kagome buried her head in Sango's shoulder. "Inuyasha was never meant to mean anything in this... I never planned on seducing him... I never betrayed him... I wasn't two-faced - I didn't have to be!"  
  
"I know..."  
  
"But he thinks it was all a lie!" Kagome clenched her fists. "And now he's going to have me killed - and he doesn't even have the decency to hang around and watch, that bastard! He could at least spare a minute or two - it only takes a couple of seconds to die, ya know!"  
  
"I know..." Sango stroked her head. "But I swear I'll do what I can to convince Inuyasha to let you go... I'm not sure if he'll forgive you... but he might at least let you go back to the main land in one piece."  
  
"And if he doesn't?"  
  
"Then I'LL set you free without his orders." Sango said fiercely. "I won't let him make a fatal mistake like this without knowing the whole truth... you'll be out of this cell by night fall."  
  
Kagome closed her eyes in despair. She couldn't leave. She still had to find the Shikon, and she still had to find a cure for the poison.  
  
But most of all... she couldn't bear the thought of leaving Inuyasha, no matter how deep his violent urges towards her right then.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
(AN: Next Chapter - 'War Breaks' Cheery title, huh? 


	17. War Breaks

AN: Well, I just recently discovered that someone has used my e-mail address to sign an online petition to get Cartoon Network to move Inuyasha back to Saturday nights. I am NOT happy about this because I don't appreciate people giving out my e-mail address in that way or pretending to be me by signing in as 'Rose'. I'm pretty sure I didn't sigh this thing (unless it was during another one of my black outs).  
  
This is a stupid thing to do since the subject of the petition involving Cartoon Network's line up for Inuyasha doesn't bother me since I don't live in North America. However, I do sympathise. But if someone abuses my address like this again I will get very mad (something that doesn't happen a lot) and I will take it off my profile page and Iridescent Dreams and so on, which will be a shame because then people won't be able to contact me with questions and comments and things like that.  
  
Well... there's my little rant over with... on with the fic. (I'm so effing mad right now...)  
  
But just before I race on: I haven't forgotten about my other fics just yet - 28 Days is just being slow on me...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
War Breaks  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Night approached at an agonisingly slow pace. Kagome waited in her cell, barely bothering to move for hours. Her wrists now had sores from where the chains had rubbed continuously against her skin... and slowly her sorrow and misery was changing to anger. How dare Inuyasha treat her like this? She'd done nothing wrong? So she'd forgot to mention the fact that she was making deals with the man who'd wrecked Inuyasha's life a little while ago... that was nothing to get too mad over was it?  
  
Sure he thought she'd lied to him, made him believe that she was his friend... but she really WAS his friend. She deserved at least a chance to explain herself.  
  
Of course on the surface he looked all calm and collected - but calm and collected people didn't make snap decisions on whether people lived or denied. He was just being unreasonable... making mistakes... making bad judgement...  
  
Kagome let her chin drop against her chest with a small sigh. He was doing just what she'd done. She'd made a mistake and a flash decision to deal with Naraku... just like Inuyasha was making a mistake and deciding she should die. She'd done it because she was in pain... so maybe he was too.  
  
That would mean of course, that his pain was her fault. She'd caused it. He'd trusted her, he'd liked her, it was obvious. Anybody would have been hurt if the people they thought were friends turned out to be someone else. And to Inuyasha, who had been mislead by Kikyo before... a second blow would hurt twice as much.  
  
All she needed was five minutes alone with him and she was sure that she could change his mind - show him that she really could be trusted and she could still be his friend. She was trying her hardest not to hurt him in her current situation, but it seemed impossible. Everything she touched seemed to turn to chaos.  
  
But Inuyasha wasn't even going to give her a chance to explain. She was doomed if Sango didn't find a way to get her out.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango slipped through the back door of the throne room and glanced across to where Inuyasha, the Captain of the Guard, and several advisors were gathered around a table, obviously discussing something intently between them.  
  
"Inuyasha...?" She called as she approached.  
  
"Not now Sango."  
  
"But-"  
  
"Is Mom out of her room yet?" he asked without turning around to look at her.  
  
He was distracting her from the topic she wanted to talk to him about. She sighed and told him anyway. "She's still isolating herself. She won't even let me in to bring her food."  
  
"Fine... keep her there." Inuyasha shrugged.  
  
Sango blinked at him in surprise. "What?"  
  
He glanced back at her. "She has enough to fret about over Dad dying. I don't want her finding out about Kagome or Sesshomaru. It might just kill her."  
  
"What about Sesshomaru?" Sango stepped towards them.  
  
"He's started a march. Our spies have revealed that he's set off every soldier he has towards the border. He's starting the war. Apparently the spies say that he thinks I'm out of town." He smirked. "Yeah right..."  
  
Panic seized Sango as she glanced out the window. "No... no... not now - he can't start to war tonight! Tomorrow is the new moon!"  
  
Inuyasha shrugged. "Perhaps the fight will be over before tomorrow night."  
  
"Fights are never over in under twenty four hours!" Sango hissed. "We can't fight now - not with Lord Inu's funeral - and Kagome-"  
  
"We have no choice." Inuyasha snapped. "You think Sesshomaru will camp out and have a picnic, while they wait for us to get ready. He doesn't care about Dad's funeral, he'll attack tonight and if we don't intercept him then the first people to die will be the people in the villages closest to the border. I can't allow that."  
  
Sango tried to absorb it all. "This is all going wrong..."  
  
"Don't jinx it, Sango." He turned back to the table with the map laid out on it. "What did you want anyway?"  
  
"Um..." Oh yeah, to convince him to release Kagome. "Never mind."  
  
"Get back to dealing with my mother then."  
  
"Yes, your highness." She bowed in a slightly mocking way and stormed out.  
  
There was no need to try and talk him out of killing Kagome. By the looks of things, every soldier in the kingdom would be heading off to fight Sesshomaru - meaning there would be no one left to execute Kagome. During that time Sango could easily sneak her off the island since the Sand bridge would have risen by now in preparation for the new moon.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Urami couldn't wait. Soon Sesshomaru's forces would arrive and then without much trouble they'd conquer the South... then Sesshomaru would finally pay her and she'd be at last rich enough to buy her way into a noble title. She could be LADY Urami... and she could marry the richest lord around with her looks.  
  
Urami hummed happily to herself as she folded the sheets that the seamstress had given to her. She couldn't wait... it would only be a matter of days perhaps... maybe even less. She'd make a beautiful Lady... maybe she could even become Sesshomaru's queen? Now there was an exciting thought...  
  
"I should have known the one last happy person in this Kingdom would be you." Inuyasha's voice said from behind her.  
  
Urami spun around, the colour draining from her face. All coherent thought left her mind as she stared at him. "What... what are you doing back?"  
  
"Well, you're a fast one aren't you? I've been back for two days already." He smirked and suddenly dumped a sword in her hands. "Give Mikato his sword back."  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Mikato... the Captain of the Guard, bird brain." Inuyasha rolled his eyes and started to stalk away. Urami glared at his back in annoyance. Of course... he was only ever nice to her when Lady Kagome was around. Where was Lady Kagome anyway...  
  
That wasn't important - what WAS important was finding Sesshomaru and telling him that Inuyasha was back from the mainland - with Tessaiga strapped to his side. This might put a hinder on her plans to become Queen... but first things were first. "Lord Inuyasha?"  
  
"What?" he barked, looking back at her.  
  
"Can I be permitted to visit my family... I'm just worried about them being as close to the border as they are." Urami didn't need to fake her nervousness.  
  
Inuyasha just shrugged. "Fine. But don't come crying to me when you end up being slaughtered with them."  
  
Such a delicate way to put it... Urami slung the sword over her shoulder and headed off to find the Captain so she could deliver the sword. Then she would set about heading North to intercept Sesshomaru... no doubt he was already making a move towards the border by now.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome rolled her head to the side with boredom. She half prayed that they had forgotten her... but that would mean she would starve and die a lonely, drawn out death. She sighed experimentally tugged at the chains for what could have been the hundredth time... she'd lost count.  
  
She only knew one thing... it must have been close to midnight and Sango hadn't come back yet... and her execution was only a short time away.  
  
Just then she heard footsteps outside and some distinct mutterings of conversation. She could have sworn she'd heard the word 'execution' and 'I've come to pick her up for'. Kagome's heart beat pitched and she suddenly found it hard to keep calm. This was it... she was going to be killed... this wasn't right... Where was Sango?  
  
The door bolt clanged open and she braced for it, watching the doorway, fearful of who would come through. She half expected a big man with a hood and an axe to come through... so she was surprised when dainty Sango came through. "Hey..."  
  
"About time!" Kagome gasped. "It's almost midnight!"  
  
"Some things came up." Sango glanced back through the cell door, checking if the coast was clear. "I just sent the guards up to join the men."  
  
"Why?" Kagome frowned.  
  
"The war's started."  
  
"Oh no..." Kagome whispered. Sango pressed her lips tightly together as she crouched down beside Kagome, producing a set of keys to unlock her chains.  
  
"Sesshomaru is attacking tonight. Inuyasha is leading the South off as we speak."  
  
"Oh no..." Kagome repeated. Now she was even more frightened then before. "What if they're killed? What if Inuyasha is killed?!"  
  
Sango swallowed hard. "I know... considering it's the new moon tomorrow..."  
  
"Oh god, oh god, oh god..." Kagome pulled her freed wrists to her chest to nurse them. "Sango - I can't go! I can't leave them like this!"  
  
"You have to! If you stay then you'll die - you have to go back to the main land." Sango gently pulled her to her feet. "Your brown gelding is waiting outside for you - he'll take you across the Sand bridge - I'll lead you there. But we have to wait a while... Inuyasha hasn't left yet - it's best to wait until he sets off and then we'll go too."  
  
"Sango... I can't abandon him..."  
  
"Why not? He's abandoned you." Sango pointed out with a hint of spite in her voice. "All men do it. Inuyasha's no different. It's best just to go back to you country and forget about this place."  
  
Kagome couldn't forget. She needed to stay there in order to save herself. She needed the Shikon... she needed the cure... she couldn't leave.  
  
"Promise me you won't come back. If you do, I know Inuyasha will kill you." Sango watched her intently. "Promise me."  
  
"I won't come back..." Kagome told her. "For a day at least..."  
  
Sango sighed with anguish, before helping Kagome make her way out of the cell. We'll just keep our heads down for a while ok... They're just waiting for Kouga's troops to arrive and then they'll set off. It shouldn't be too long."  
  
Kagome couldn't help but feel guilty about leaving them all in a mess, but there wasn't much she could do in the mean time other than run away. But she would come back... she couldn't stay away from Inuyasha, that was just asking the impossible of her. Besides... she still had unfinished business and she still needed to explain things to Inuyasha.  
  
She would be back when the battle was over... if Inuyasha was still alive...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Someone's coming!" one of the soldiers on his right yelled and Sesshomaru quickly turned his attention forward, focusing through the trees to see someone rapidly approaching on horse back. He held up a hand to draw the march to a halt as he recognised Urami was the one riding the horse.  
  
This undoubtedly meant some bad news.  
  
"Lord Sesshomaru..." Urami panted as she drew up before him with a quick bow. "It's Lord Inuyasha... he's returned... he's taken the thrown and brought Lord Inu's body back from the mainland..."  
  
There was a tense silence and a few of the warriors swapped unnerved glances.  
  
"Does he have Tessaiga?" Sesshomaru asked after a long pause.  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Has he mastered it?"  
  
"I don't think so, your highness." Urami gripped her reins tightly, waiting for someone to just shoot her for her ineptness.  
  
Sesshomaru's scrutinising gaze made her shift uncomfortably on her horse... Surely he wouldn't kill her for this... it was in no way her fault that he'd returned early anyway.  
  
"We'll continue." Sesshomaru gestured to his men to move off again. As he passed Urami he darted a cool glare at her. "Inuyasha doesn't pose much of a threat anyway. I'll kill him myself if he lasts that long. You are to head back to the South palace, Urami, and make sure they don't see you."  
  
"Yes, your majesty." She nodded and waited for the men to pass her by before moving off. She did however notice that there were a lot more men on this side than on Inuyasha's side, and they all looked better trained for war. But then again, she hadn't quite seen how many wolf men had joined the South... so the two armies could be at evens now.  
  
One thing was for sure... she was glad she'd been born female... otherwise she would have had been forced into this battle...  
  
Besides... she wouldn't have been so pretty as a man anyway.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
When Kouga and his men arrived at the South palace they came upon a great many people gathered by the lakes outside, watching what looked like a bonfire in grave silence. A few of the women were crying here and there, but most, like Inuyasha, had their heads bowed.  
  
"What's this?" Kouga smirked as he sauntered up beside Inuyasha. "Mourning for your deaths already? A little hasty aren't you?"  
  
"It's a funeral, you asswipe." Inuyasha ground out.  
  
"Oh yes..." Kouga glanced at the bonfire, vaguely able to make out the body being cremated. "Your king, huh?"  
  
"I'm the King now." Inuyasha folded his arms angrily.  
  
"Let's see how long that claim holds up." Kouga turned and started walking back towards his men. "Please try and remember you have a battle coming up. You can't weep all night you know."  
  
Inuyasha, of course, knew that. They were just about finished anyway. He ordered his men to move out, following Kouga's men. He stayed behind until they'd all passed by more or less, before turning to one of the youngest palace maids. She'd been born in the palace, so he knew he could trust her... besides... a thirteen year old couldn't really be a spy.  
  
"Takao... go back to the palace and release Kagome from the dungeons." He said quietly. "Tell her to take her horse and get off the main land and never come back unless she wants to die. If anyone asks where she's gone, tell her she's been disposed of. Got that? Keep it secret. Guard it with your life."  
  
"Yes, your highness." She blushed and bowed slightly.  
  
Inuyasha turned and left the rest of the palace to grieve at the funeral. He fetched his horse and caught up to the head of the marching army. "Hold on a minute!" he yelled, causing everyone to stop. "We have to sort something out before we go..."  
  
"What now?" Kouga called impatiently from a short distance away. "Are you just stalling, 'fraidy cat?"  
  
Inuyasha flashed him a dry look. "We ride only geldings and mares tonight."  
  
"What?" Mikato, the captain of the guard said with surprise. "We don't have enough geldings and mares... we mostly have only stallions."  
  
"And stallions, once they catch the scent of a mare mid battle won't give a shit about serving you - they'll be off chasing the ladies." Inuyasha led his own stallion apart from the others. "That means we can't ride the stallions, they'll disobey. So only mares and geldings. And if we don't have enough..."  
  
He unsheathed Tessaiga in one smooth motion.  
  
"We make the geldings ourselves."  
  
Almost every man on the grassy plains cringed with sympathy pains.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Come on, they're gone." Sango tugged Kagome's hand as she ran down the steps of the palace and turned left to head around the corner for the stables. Kagome half dragged her feet with hesitance.  
  
"Sango... I'm not sure about this..." Kagome called quietly.  
  
"We don't have a choice. We have to get you out of here while the men are gone." Sango reached the stables and looked in the doorway. "Good - there's one left."  
  
After disappearing inside the stables for a few moments, she came back out dragging the brown gelding behind her. "Guess no one wanted him."  
  
"Typical." Kagome took the reins off Sango and stroked the gelding's nose gently. "Sango I really don't want to go..."  
  
"You don't have any choice..." Sango beckoned her to follow her. Kagome hesitated for a few moments before following her with a heavy hearted sigh through the gates and between the lakes. Once again as the passed the lake on the left, she got a tingled sensation, but it vanished almost too soon for her to notice.  
  
"Come on Kagome!" Sango called impatiently over her shoulder as she saw the younger girl slow down. "The sooner you get out of here the better..."  
  
"But I really don't want to go..." Kagome whispered to herself as she jogged to catch up, trailing the horse after her.  
  
It was a long walk to the coast where the bridge joined the beach, but Sango didn't want to risk riding in case the heavy sounds of the gelding alerted stray warriors from either the North or the South.  
  
"Where do you think they are now?" Kagome fretted. "Do you think they're fighting yet?"  
  
"I'm not sure... depends on how much ground Sesshomaru's covered. They may have chosen their battlefield by now though..." Sango whispered as she treaded through the sands.  
  
The sand bridge came into view soon and for a long time the two girls just stood before it, staring out.  
  
"I'll miss you..." Sango smiled weakly. "Lady Inu will too when she finds out."  
  
Kagome found a lump forming in her throat. She felt sorry for the Queen... well... she felt sorry for everyone on this blasted island. "I shouldn't leave you in this mess."  
  
"What can you do to help it?" Sango rubbed her arms to keep warm. "You did good things while you were here... you may not believe it but Inuyasha calmed down a lot since your arrival. Before you came he was as hot tempered as... um... a woolly mammoth wearing three or four layer of clothing and sitting in a hot spring in a volcano... on a hot day."  
  
"That's hot."  
  
"Yeah..." Sango cleared her throat. "It's a shame you had to go and get mixed up with... you know..."  
  
"I'm really sorry."  
  
"You don't have to apologise to me." Sango walked forward and pulled Kagome into a hug. "Just get out of here with your head still attached, ok. Don't come back."  
  
Kagome didn't say anything. She promised herself to come back as soon as possible... maybe even tomorrow night.  
  
A sudden flash lit the space behind Kagome's eyelids and she snapped her eyes open, blinking rapidly, trying to clear the dancing sunspots from her vision. Everything was in black and white again and Sango and the gelding were gone.  
  
"Kagome?" Sango called hesitantly as the girl pulled back from the embrace and seemed to be looking intently at something further up the beach. She looked in the same direction but saw nothing but sand and rocks and inky black waters lapping at the sands.  
  
"Someone's coming." Kagome squinted her eyes. "They're on a horse..."  
  
Sango looked harder. "Kagome... there's no one there."  
  
"No - I'm having a vision."  
  
"Not now - don't get distracted - you have to leave!" Sango clapped her hands before Kagome's partially unseeing eyes. "Wake up - you have to leave now if you want to make it back to the mainland in time for morning!"  
  
"Wait..." Kagome took a few steps forward at the approaching rider. She couldn't see colours but everything about him was dark. Dark horse, dark hair, dark clothes and his face was cast in shadows. He was heading right for the bridge. "He's human."  
  
"I don't understand..." Sango was looking around the way Kagome was, as if maybe she could catch a glimpse of the past as well. "Who do you see?"  
  
"I don't know... I can't see his face properly..." Kagome toddled off as the rider passed right by them, walking slowly towards the sand bridge. "He's... he's got a black horse I think... black hair... it's pulled back in a small tie."  
  
Sango was getting a nagging feeling. "Is he carrying a staff?"  
  
"Um..." Kagome looked. "No."  
  
Sango cast her eyes to the sand. "It's Miroku... he's leaving... he left his staff here for some reason."  
  
"That's Miroku?" Kagome stared after him, stumped into complete shock for a moment, before bursting into movement. "Where's the gelding?"  
  
"Right here." Sango took Kagome's hand and pulled her to the horse.  
  
"Good." Kagome started to swung herself into the saddle "Now I'll just-"  
  
"You're sitting the wrong way."  
  
Kagome corrected herself before starting again. "I'll follow him."  
  
"Kagome that's crazy..." Sango sighed. "Don't bother."  
  
"I can follow him to wherever he is now!" Kagome said as if it were the most logical thing in the world.  
  
"Miroku left almost a year ago - he's long gone now."  
  
"No harm in trying." Kagome saw the other rider in her vision kick his horse into motion and start to fly down the bridge at top speed. "Gotta go - see you tomorrow Sango!"  
  
"No! Don't come back!"  
  
"Sorry!" Kagome called over her shoulder as she spurred the gelding to follow Miroku's trail.  
  
Sango watched her chase after her invisible vision and sighed. She wouldn't find Miroku... she probably wouldn't come back. And if she did she had better not bring Miroku with her.  
  
She waited patiently until Kagome was finally gone from sight and had faded into the darkness out at sea, before finally turning and heading back in the direction of the South palace. She made sure to take the long way around the edge of the island, just in case she bumped into any trouble tonight.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Mikato, the captain of the guard watched warily as Inuyasha crouched down to the ground and pressed a hand against the earth. Tiny vibrations in the soil told him what he wanted to know. He rose to his feet and scanned the forest on the opposite side of the meadow they'd found.  
  
"They're in the those trees, heading this way." Inuyasha told the others who shifted restlessly. "This'll be the place."  
  
"Are you sure this is a good place to fight?" Kouga scowled grumpily.  
  
It wasn't like the meadows outside the palace, considering the grasses reached up to well past knee level... but the earth was hard and dry, so at least the footing would be secure. "The only thing we'd have to look out for would be rattlesnakes."  
  
Kouga shuddered. "Hate snakes..."  
  
Inuyasha made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a snake's rattle. Kouga turned a glare on him, watching the hanyou smirk and make his way further into the meadow. The others felt less inclined to follow and stayed put beside the tree line as Inuyasha stopped a couple of metres away, hand braced against the hilt of his sword.  
  
Kouga skulked up beside him. "You're scared. Aren't you?"  
  
Inuyasha gave him a flat look. "Not for myself." He suddenly smirked. "Just don't go running back to Mommy, the first time you get stabbed."  
  
"At least I don't still live with my Mommy." Kouga shot back.  
  
"Well at least I'm the King of an empire - and you're not." Inuyasha retorted.  
  
"Oh, dog-turd, you have a little something on your shirt..." Kouga touched the cloth of Inuyasha's shirt under his chin. When Inuyasha looked down he haplessly flicked his nose. "Idiot... even my baby sister wouldn't fall for that one..."  
  
Inuyasha, feeling less restrained, felt free to pop Kouga around the jaw with his fist calmly enough.  
  
Mikato leaned down and whispered something to a fellow warrior who nodded. "They seem to be getting on better, don't you think?"  
  
Just then, movement across the meadow drew all activity to an abrupt halt. The silence was so eerie... even the crickets had fallen quiet as the South looked on with rapt attention as a few men on horse back appeared through the trees in the distance.  
  
The man in front certainly looked the best... and by far the most beautiful of all of them. It had been a while, but Inuyasha vaguely recognised his brother. Out of pure instant reaction he gripped his father's sword even tighter.  
  
Kouga broke the silence with a scoff. "Is that all they have?" he smirked. "This'll be a doddle."  
  
He'd barely finished his sentence when men on foot appeared out of the trees, followed by more men on foot behind them... exiting the trees in a trickling leak along the whole line of the forest. Everyone behind Inuyasha began to get uneasy all over again. Kouga had promptly shut up.  
  
A few minutes later and the whole border of the opposite tree line was swamped with soldiers from the North, all looking rather formal and organised. There was no doubt in Inuyasha's head that there were more men behind that first wave.  
  
They were severely outnumbered here and definitely outmatched. They were as good as dead already.  
  
"Draw!" Inuyasha yelled as he unsheathed Tessaiga in a sweep.  
  
The sound of scraping metal on metal filled the void of silence as hundreds of blades glinted as they were drawn from their scabbards. The archers up front drew their bows and aimed at the enemy lines. Not that any of the arrows could pierce Sesshomaru's armour.  
  
Inuyasha didn't dare take his eyes off Sesshomaru. His cool expression didn't give away much... and it almost took Inuyasha by surprise when his brother suddenly yelled out his order. "Charge them!!" Sesshomaru, however, hung back as his men raced forward.  
  
"Fire!" Inuyasha quickly followed and the archers released their arrows.  
  
The shafts of wood and metal flashed through the air with faint whistling sounds to sink into the midst of the army converging on them. A few dozen men were felled... but that was a minuscule number compared to the majority that survived.  
  
"Again!" Kouga yelled.  
  
Inuyasha didn't like the wolf man giving orders like he was in charge, but since that was the order he was going to give anyway, he didn't bother arguing.  
  
Another wave of arrows soared through the air, this time hitting more targets as the archers steadied their nervous hands. But it was still in no way enough to strike down the entire onslaught.  
  
By now they'd approached too far and too fast to continue firing at with arrows. Inuyasha swung back on his horse and gave it a sharp kick in the flanks, not bothering with any verbal order to set the battle in motion. The men just followed instinctively behind him as they raced forward.  
  
Inuyasha could see Sesshomaru still hung back around the trees...  
  
And he had the gall to call Inuyasha the coward...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter 'New Moon' Oh - I bet you can't guess what THAT means! ¬_¬ 


	18. New Moon

AN: Sorry about 28 Days - that's going to be on hold for a while since I have to sort out a minor dilemma in the ploy - don't worry, I haven't written myself into a corner just yet, but I haven't completely finished planning it, and I'm just wondering how to work things through...  
  
Anyway, because I need to sort out the plot a bit - I might not update 28 days until I finish this fic (Sorry!) So since so many people were asking, I thought I should tell you what's going on (sometimes I feel you only review this one to nag me about the other one)  
  
  
  
  
  
Anyway... towards the end of this chapter might be some mild violence - but the rating is still PG-13. Well, considering Lord of the Rings is much more graphic and only has a 12A rating... I guess it's ok. ^_^;;  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
New Moon  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome had been riding so hard and so fast in order to keep Miroku in sight, that she didn't have to worry about being caught out in the middle of the sand bridge as the tide rose again. She cleared the sands and burst onto the beach well before the first morning rays peeked over the horizon. It was strange... she still couldn't see in colour yet - and she couldn't even see the horse she rode on (a slightly unnerving experience).  
  
She'd never had a vision last as long as this before, which for once, she was glad for. If her normal vision returned then she'd lose sight of Miroku... and if that happened then she'd be stranded without any idea where he would be.  
  
She didn't dare take her eyes off him in case she lost sight of him... and under her breath she kept wishing he would turn around a little more so she could see his face. Too bad his horse was faster than hers... otherwise she would have overtaken him and taken a good long hard look at Fushi's father.  
  
  
  
But the closest she got to a glimpse of his face was when he turned his head slightly to the left at some sound she couldn't really hear... but that slight movement hadn't told her much. So she just planned, for now, to follow him as far down this dirt track road as possible until her vision ended.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Lady Inu?" Sango rapped gently on the door to the Queen's chamber. "Lady Inu, please let me in."  
  
"Don't waste your time tending me, Sango." A quiet voice called back. "I release you from your duties. You can go home... go back to the mainland if you wish..."  
  
Sango frowned. She had no intention of going anywhere. She wouldn't leave even if she'd been ordered to. "No, milady... I want to stay here - let me come in."  
  
"Sango..." Came an exasperated sigh.  
  
Sango didn't wait for any permission, she slid the door open and entered without invitation. At once her gaze fell on the bed and she stopped to watch the Queen for a moment where she lay on her stomach, head resting on her crossed forearms. Well... at least she wasn't crying anymore. Sango slowly slid the door closed behind her before carefully picking her way towards the bed where she sat down beside the Queen.  
  
It was a long time before either of them spoke. "The palace seems quiet today, Sango..."  
  
"Yes, milady..."  
  
"Is everyone still in grief...?" The Queen sighed and closed her eyes. "Or have they all left the palace for war?"  
  
Sango pulled at her own fingers nervously. "They've left."  
  
"And Inuyasha...?"  
  
"He's leading them." Sango smiled weakly, knowing only one thing would cheer her up now. "He's taken the throne from you... you don't have to worry anymore."  
  
"I'm proud." The Queen managed a smile even weaker than Sango's. "But I still have to worry. It's the new moon tonight..."  
  
"The battle may be over by then." Sango said, voicing Inuyasha's own confidence.  
  
"Wars are never settled in under a day." Lady Inu whispered, repeating Sango's words to Inuyasha's confidence. "How long do you suppose a human would last in a battle of demons...?"  
  
The young woman swallowed hard and looked down at her lap. She didn't want to voice her answer to that question...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It was getting close to midday by the time she reached the town Miroku seemed to be heading (have headed??) for. She began to hear the sounds of normal town life that seemed to be emanating from her own present location rather than the vision.  
  
Quickly, Kagome drew to a halt. If she went on through that town she wouldn't be able to see where SHE was going and would undoubtedly bump into someone or something. Instead she just stayed on the road and watched Miroku like an eagle as he slowed down and rode through the town plaque square. She had to crane her neck a little, and wished again that he would just turn around for once...  
  
But he dismounted, tied his horse to a post and went inside one of the buildings, all without turning back to look the way he had come. And abruptly the vision ended.  
  
Colour snapped into her focus and suddenly the village was filled with different people and animals with different items on sale in the market stalls. The buildings were all still there, so the building Miroku had gone into was still there. She half reckoned he would still be in there.  
  
With a sigh of frustration she carried on through the town and tied her gelding to the very same post as Miroku, before turning to enter the building. Perhaps they would know who Miroku was... if not where he was.  
  
But upon entering she could only sigh again. It was a bar, of sorts. A very humble one at that. No doubt dozens of travellers like Miroku passed through this place every day... the chances of someone remembering him were slim.  
  
Just then Kagome noticed that the bar had gone very quiet all of a sudden. She glanced around to see every pair of eyes on her... she guessed they didn't get many women around this bar.  
  
"Um... hi..." Kagome gave a tiny wave. "Uh... are any of you in any chance called Miroku?"  
  
Every hand shot up.  
  
Yeah right... Kagome smiled and tried again. "No... I mean a Miroku... young... about eighteen, nineteen... about yay high..." she raised her hand to roughly meet his height.  
  
Every hand still continued to wave at her.  
  
"Oh forget it..." Kagome turned and started to walk out, only a voice stopped her just as she started to exit the door.  
  
"You're looking for Miroku Houshi ain't you?" A stout man behind the counter said without looking up from his money counting.  
  
"Possibly."  
  
"The skinny rat with the hair tied back?" the guy looked up. Kagome reckoned any man beside that guy looked like a skinny rat. "The lecherous loser with the 'generous' and 'helpful' and 'polite' manners?"  
  
Kagome blinked at him as he enunciated the words in a sarcastic way. That sure sounded like Sango's description. "Yeah... I think so."  
  
"You think so, huh?" the guy went back to counting. "He'll be on the other side of the village 'helping' the tenants of the largest house in the area. And that's only if you're lucky - he travels around so much it's hard to catch him and to tell him he needs to pay his tab. Butt-face..."  
  
Kagome assumed the butt-face was Miroku, not herself, and smiled with relief that she had a larger chance of finding him. "Thanks!" she ran out to fetch her horse to go find the largest house in the area.  
  
A few moments after she'd left the building, Miroku wandered in, glancing over his shoulder at the attractive young girl that had just haplessly barged past him outside. "Who was that Mushin?"  
  
"One of the girls auditioned for the gentlemen's entertainer." Mushin winked suspiciously.  
  
"No, really - who was that?" she looked far too familiar for his taste.  
  
"Some girl..." Mushin shrugged. "She was asking for you - I sent her on a wild goose chase."  
  
"Why?" Miroku frowned as he leaned on the counter.  
  
Mushin blinked at him in surprise. "You told me you weren't interested in girls any more."  
  
"Well - she was obviously eager to find me - doesn't that strike you as a bit odd?!" he had half a mind to go after her and find out why she was so familiar.  
  
"Let it go... she's probably one of your old one night stands back to tell you she's having your baby." Mushin went back to counting his winnings, cradling a flask of sake under his arm. "It would be a shame to let her down now that you've turned gay on us..."  
  
Miroku gasped with annoyance and gave the old man a shove as he came around the back of the counter. "I'm not gay, I'm just not interested!"  
  
"Yeah... of course you're not gay..." Mushin said patronisingly before growling. "Oh now you made me lose count!"  
  
While the old man huffed Miroku discreetly sneaked a couple of Mon from the money pile into his pockets. "You can turn in now Uncle, I'll take over for the rest of the day."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Why not? You looked tired and bloated - been at the sake too much? No need to answer - just you lay down in the back and I'll take care of everything." Miroku smiled.  
  
Mushin stared at him. "I don't trust you Miroku... no offence or anything."  
  
"None taken." Miroku shrugged. "Take your money with you if you want to make sure I don't nick any. I don't need it anyway, I'm off North tonight, gonna trade with one of the lords up there."  
  
"Right, right..." Mushin scrabbled to pull his money into his pouch and headed off into the back, but not before giving Miroku a shrewd suspicious glare.  
  
Miroku rolled his eyes as soon as he was out of the room and began checking the counter and the surrounding area for coins that Mushin might have dropped by accident.  
  
He found three. What a sucker...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It must have been closing in on mid-afternoon and Kagome could have sworn she'd circled the town at least three times. She'd found the largest house, but they'd said that Miroku hadn't 'helped' them in months.  
  
So she'd finally come to a last resort, and asked random people on the street. "Excuse me-"  
  
"Not now, girl!" the man she'd tried to stop hurried right past.  
  
Kagome huffed and tried to look for someone more promising. She spotted a group of teenage girls milling between the market stalls. She headed towards them, dragging the gelding in her wake. "Excuse me - would you happen to know anyone name Miroku Houshi?"  
  
"Miroku Houshi?" one girl raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What you want with him?" another asked.  
  
At least they seemed to know him. "I'm here to tell him he has a son."  
  
All five girls either swung around to face her or nearly slipped over. "What?!" they all chorused. "How the hell did you manage to slip past the net?!"  
  
Kagome took a slightly nervous step back. "I'm not the mother..."  
  
The lead girl scoffed and flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "No of course not... you're not his taste at all..." Should Kagome be offended? "Well... I'm sure he'll be delighted to hear that... you'll find him in the bar our father's always go to. He's always in there with Mushin, the tender."  
  
"The... the bar at the entrance of the town?" Kagome asked slowly.  
  
"Of course. What other scruffy bar do you see around here?"  
  
Kagome gripped the reins tighter and tried to contain her anger. The old git behind the counter had sent her off in the wrong direction... either he'd been drinking too much or he'd been trying to delude her. "Thank you." She muttered tightly and headed back the way she had come.  
  
This was ridiculous... every passing minute counted - she didn't need to be sent on wild chases like this. She needed to find Miroku and then be back at the bridge by night fall - the new moon! She needed to see Inuyasha... and soon...  
  
Kagome jerkily tied the reins around the same post outside the bar and stomped back inside. This time she scanned the whole room of men sitting beside their tables drinking slowly from small cups of tea or sake.  
  
"Which one of you is Miroku?"  
  
Once more every hand shot up.  
  
"The real Miroku!"  
  
The hands remained up.  
  
"I'm carrying his child!"  
  
Every hand promptly dropped and the men suddenly looked all very busy and interested in their cups. Kagome looked around the room. Not one man's hand still remained up... and none looked particularly like the rider that she'd been watching for most of the night.  
  
Kagome sighed miserably and slowly walked to the counter, vaguely interesting in finding the old man and finding out where Miroku really was. She didn't see him around, and so leaned over the counter to see if he was unconscious on the floor behind it.  
  
Nope... but there was a nice big silver Mon coin on that shelf down there. Well... no one was looking... and she was kinda short of cash... she quickly snatched it up and straightened... only to come face to face with a young man who now stood behind the previously vacated counter. She stared... and he stared...  
  
"You gonna buy something with that?" he asked.  
  
Kagome quickly did a physical check of the young man... violet eyes... black hair that fell just below his chin and a lean body. She sighed... close... but he looked slightly taller than the Miroku she'd seen.  
  
Feeling sheepish she pushed the coin across the counter towards him. "You dropped this I guess..."  
  
"That's very honest of you..." for a moment she thought he was going to let her keep it. But no... he took it back. "You gonna buy with anything else?"  
  
"I'm a little short..." Kagome sighed.  
  
"Tell you what... I'll give you some water. That's free. You can get it anywhere."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
He got the drink and set it down before her. "Anything else?"  
  
"Wouldn't happen to have a Miroku behind that counter too?" Kagome asked hopefully as she sipped her water.  
  
"Might have." Miroku's eyes twinkled with amusement. "What would you want with a devilish rake like him?"  
  
"Oh... just to had another person onto my growing list of problems..."  
  
"You have problems. Everyone has problems. What do you want with this particular guy?" he asked, leaning on the counter.  
  
Kagome was too easily falling into the roll of miserable person talking to the easy listening bar tender scenario. But why not? It wasn't like this guy was ever going to see her again.  
  
"It doesn't matter..." she said at last. "I don't even know why I'm bothering helping other people when I should be trying to help myself."  
  
"With what?"  
  
"Major crisis." Kagome rested her cheek on her palm. "I got involved with the wrong sort of people... and now I just seem to end up hurting the people I care most about."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Oh you know... the old - betraying the friendship and trust thing..." Kagome ran her finger around the edge of her cup. "There's this guy - a nice cute guy. I liked him... but when he found out about one of the people I'd managed to mess myself up with then he kinda... tried to punch a hole in my face - and then ordered my execution."  
  
"Sounds like a lord." Only lords could really only order executions.  
  
"He's more than that now I suppose." Kagome sighed. "And I feel ten times more guilty because he was betrayed like this before he ever met me... I'm the bad guy here..."  
  
Miroku watched a small frown pucker her brow. "I think he'll die tonight..." she whispered, too softly for Miroku to hear.  
  
"Sorry?"  
  
"Nothing." Kagome brightened slightly, forcing a smile out. "So... you break the hearts of people you love too?"  
  
"I don't know." He shrugged.  
  
"I know this girl..." Kagome sighed, looking down at the counter. "She was in love with this guy... and then he left her with a baby to look after. And he hasn't come back yet."  
  
"Aren't men bastards?"  
  
"Yeah..." Kagome took another sip of her water. "Well... I better be going, I have to be back by the coast by night fall so I can go see Inuyasha and Sango and tell them I'm really sorry and that I didn't find Miroku and that I hope Inuyasha's ok as a human tonight..."  
  
"Alright. Bye now." Miroku waved.  
  
Suddenly he froze. Wait... he recognised those names... "Hey!"  
  
Kagome glanced back at him. "Yes?"  
  
"You know Sango and Inuyasha?" Miroku came around the counter to stand before her.  
  
"You too...?" She blinked up at his face, fixing her gaze on his eyes... oh, hang on... those were... just like Fushi's eyes. "You!" she took a step back, staring at him in surprise.  
  
She suddenly snapped her wits about her and clawed a small leather tie that hung around her wrist and forcefully grabbed him.  
  
"Hey!" he protested as she went for his hair.  
  
"Don't struggle - just hold still!" she hurriedly pushed his hair back and tied it with the leather thong. When she was done she stepped back and examined her handiwork. It was messy because she'd been in such a rush... but... it was spooky... "Turn around." She had to physically move him since he was still half in a state of shock. "Oh my god! You're him! You're the guy I was following - you're Miroku!"  
  
"You were following me?" Now he was just slightly scared. "Who the hell are you anyway?"  
  
"Oh - I'm Kagome!" she bowed hastily, grinning like a lunatic. "I can't believe I found you - Sango will be so pleased, I just know it!"  
  
"You've met Sango?" Miroku suddenly stepped forward seriously. "Are you for real? How do you know her - you must know a way to get back onto that island then!"  
  
"Of course I do." Kagome was a little surprised he didn't know himself. "The sand bridge rises tonight..."  
  
"The bridge?" He stared at her. "You can forecast when it rises? How?!"  
  
"Because..." Kagome was quickly pulling the pieces together. He'd never gone back to that island because basically, he hadn't known how to. "Every full moon... three nights a month."  
  
"Curses!" Miroku grimaced. "I thought it was random..."  
  
"Wow... you stayed on that island for weeks and you never knew that..." Kagome struggled to suppress a small smile.  
  
"Yeah... anyway - how's Sango? Have you seen her recently? Is she well? I she still beautiful?"  
  
He was so much more charming that Kouga... Kagome felt a little pang of happiness for Sango. She'd found such a keeper! She somehow doubted that Kouga would have cared about her health... she'd heard that he barely ever asked to see her when he went to the palace... or even ask about her for that matter.  
  
"She's doing fine - she's just glowing with beauty." Well, not recently, but she had been known to have a cheerful glow in the past. "Fushi's keeping her great company."  
  
"Fushi?" Miroku's tone suddenly turned icy. "Who the hell's Fushi? What's he doing with Sango?"  
  
"Wha - he's-" Kagome stopped herself abruptly. Oh yeah... he didn't even know he was a father yet. She melted into a warm smile at being the one to break the news. She could help at least one person nowadays. "No need for jealousy... Fushi's your son."  
  
Miroku's facial expression didn't change for quite some time. But when it did...  
  
Kagome thought it was priceless.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Fucking - bastards!"  
  
Inuyasha kicked angrily with both feet from his position in the saddle as three Northern warriors went for him all at once and tried to pull him off his horse. They soon found themselves sprawled on the ground, and quickly trampled by the tide of densely fighting Youkai around them.  
  
Inuyasha urged the horse to shove its way through the thickets of soldiers, not caring if he pushed his own men out of the way - though he cared even less that he trampled Sesshomaru's men.  
  
An arrow shot from the sea of moving bodies and glance across Inuyasha's cheek, tearing a line from his ear to the bridge of his nose and across. That had been lucky... it could have hit him square in the ear. Inuyasha's hand snapped out before the arrow had the chance to spin away, and grabbed the shaft. He turned angrily to locate the source and saw the warrior staring at him, probably looking ready to lose his dinner.  
  
Despite the jostling that unsettled his horse, Inuyasha threw the arrow straight, with as much force as possible towards the attacker. He didn't waste his time to see if the arrow had hit... he still had to find Sesshomaru.  
  
It was getting harder to endure... they'd been at this for hours... and it looked like there was no end in sight. Half the forces were no longer fighting, and now lay blanketing the ground covered in mud... it was hard to determine the dead from messy lumps of clay.  
  
It was even harder for Inuyasha however... being on a horse was an advantage in one way... but a disadvantage in another being that everyone could easily pick him out of the crowd. And once they spotted him... the north were ruthless in their efforts to strike a death blow on him. They targeted him because he was weaker... because he was the kind... and once he was dead the war would be over.  
  
If he could just find Sesshomaru and destroy him... it would be over...  
  
Suddenly a heavy force slammed into his side, throwing him clean off the horse and into the fray of fighting beside him. A stray weapon slashed his side as he fell against battling opponents, and was quickly pushed to the ground. Inuyasha was vaguely aware of his horse running away... forcing a path through the warriors and leaving him behind.  
  
"Shit..." Inuyasha gripped his injured side and rose defiantly, angrily looking around for the attacker. He saw no one that stood out... and so turned back to fighting on foot instead.  
  
It was a change of pace... but it was more difficult to watch his back now. And it was hard to manoeuvre such a sword in such a small space without risking hitting his own men.  
  
"Bastard child!" a Northern warrior swung his sword heavy against Inuyasha's, jarring the hilt painfully in his hand.  
  
There was nothing for it... Inuyasha twisted around with difficulty and swung the sword with a cry against his opponents shoulder, but only succeeded in crashing noisily against the metal armour.  
  
"Fool." The man sneered and drew back to trust his sword at Inuyasha. Well... he would have if Inuyasha hadn't thrust first, tearing the man a nice new hole for his stomach.  
  
Once the man was down Inuyasha turned and angrily scanned the living sea around him... trying to pick out the tall Inu Youkai on the bay horse... he needed to find his brother... but throughout the duration of the fight... he hadn't even caught a glimpse.  
  
Inuyasha uneasily glanced west and spotted the sun was slowly edging its way down to the horizon. He had to find his brother before it set otherwise the battle would be lost.  
  
"Stupid... fucking... asshole... bastard..." Inuyasha growled as he angrily shoved his way through the men, tossing aside the ones who tried to ambush or attack him. He was on a sole mission... he couldn't afford to get distracted.  
  
Where was he?!  
  
Inuyasha's eyes left the scene of the battle around him and glanced towards the trees. His gaze froze on Sesshomaru... he was still stood there in all his magnificent glory, watching the fight below him on the rising slope he was on.  
  
"Bastard...!" Inuyasha grunted as he quickly began pushing his way even more forcefully towards his brother. It took a while, but eventually he staggered free of the writhing mass of warriors and started to storm towards his brother, trying to hide his limp.  
  
He clenched Tessaiga angrily beside him, waiting to just swing it at his older brother without any warning the moment he reached him. Not that such a rusty blade would do much.  
  
"Oh look... you're still alive..." Sesshomaru smirked as he saw Inuyasha staggering towards him.  
  
Sesshomaru must have been the only man in the entire meadow that wasn't by now covered in mud and blood. The chances were he hadn't even touched his sword this time.  
  
"You'll pay for this." Inuyasha seethed, speeding up until he was charging. He half snarled, half yelled as he swung his blade with the most intense hatred he'd felt in a long time.  
  
The blade in his hand sliced an arcing curve in the air, leaving a glowing trail that suddenly irrupted into a storming wind, racing straight for Sesshomaru.  
  
For one brief moment, the older brother looked mildly impressed, before smirking and unsheathing his own sword in one smooth motion. The wind deflected off him harmlessly enough. "Dear little Urami seems to be missing something here..."  
  
Inuyasha was surprised at what he'd just done... but he didn't have the time to stand there and gawk. Whatever he had done had just failed... so better not waste time and think about it. At least now the sword was transformed, and now he was certain he could waste Sesshomaru.  
  
"You will PAY for all these deaths, asshole!" Inuyasha swung his sword again as he reached his brother, clashing it with Sesshomaru's blade.  
  
The blow jarred them both, but Sesshomaru barely let it show. Inuyasha tried to swing the other way, but found it blocked. He feinted and dived behind his brother, trying to strike from behind, but it was blocked.  
  
"Stop blocking and fight me!" Inuyasha raged.  
  
Sesshomaru smirked and suddenly swung his blade at amazing speed towards Inuyasha. The younger brother had barely the time to block it... and the force of the blow sent him flying backwards, landing him on his back with a graze along his arm.  
  
"You really are such a pathetic little brat." Sesshomaru stalked towards him as he struggled to stand again. "You're good to last this long in such a long battle... but you're no way near my level. You'd need a hundred years to beat me... and even then I wouldn't care to wager that you'd succeed."  
  
"Bastard!" Inuyasha swung out carelessly. He really had no real experience with handling a sword in this kind of form. He was exhausted mentally and physically... and the only thing really driving him on was adrenaline, and the dire need to defeat his brother.  
  
All those reasons put together was making him careless, and Sesshomaru easily evaded his strike, as well as raking his poison claws across Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha cried out in pain, but carried on trying to land a blow.  
  
"Give it up... you're not fit to be king here... to be defeated this easily..." Sesshomaru smashed a fist against his forehead, and Inuyasha felt something crack, making lights explode behind his eyes. Inuyasha refused to go down easily though. He swung with all his strength and clashed with Sesshomaru's sword between them.  
  
Then the sun set.  
  
Tessaiga slid back into its original, dull form, surprising Sesshomaru so much he stepped back, pulling the pressure off.  
  
Inuyasha felt a wave of pain crash through his body and he dropped to his as Tessaiga fell from his numb fingers. Sesshomaru was smiling smugly again as he realised Inuyasha was done for. Though... he didn't expect for Inuyasha's hair to slowly change from white to black, spreading from his roots down to the tips of his blood matted hair.  
  
The ears shifted from a perk upright position, to end up as fleshy useless flaps on either side of his head, really only useful for tucking the hair behind. He suddenly groaned and clasped his hands to his cracked skull, trying painfully, to hold it together so it wouldn't shatter. The pain was almost unbearable now.  
  
Sesshomaru stared at him neutrally, seeing Inuyasha's hands, now clawless, start to seep with blood from his head. No doubt his face had changed.  
  
"Looks like another little girl has been telling me fibs too..." he said quietly. "Stand up Inuyasha."  
  
Inuyasha didn't hear him.  
  
Sesshomaru reached down and pulled him up by his shirt, amazingly, Inuyasha refused to cry out in pain. Though his hands dropped away from his head and the pain was clearly etched and riddled across his face.  
  
"You're pathetic..." Sesshomaru said cruelly. "No King should bear a weakness like this... you're an insult to our bloodline."  
  
Inuyasha opened his mouth, trying to speak, but only managed to cough some blood up.  
  
"What?" Sesshomaru held him stiffly aloft.  
  
"Ka..."  
  
"Last requests?" Sesshomaru smirked.  
  
Inuyasha kept his eyes clenched in pain. He wanted no requests... he didn't give a shit about a noble death... if he was dead would he care? No... he just wanted to remember someone at his moment of death... and carry on that memory for the rest of his afterlife, if such a thing existed.  
  
"...K'gome..." he managed to gasp out, barely audible and unrecognisable. Sesshomaru didn't understand him.  
  
"Gibberish." He discerned it as. He carried on holding Inuyasha up with one hand, and pulled his sword back in the other, ready to run him through... right through the heart.  
  
But he paused slightly before making the final blow.  
  
It was short lived... a heavy arrow shaft shot from the battle below and slammed into Inuyasha's back with such force it protruded from his chest, inches from piercing Sesshomaru's armour. Inuyasha was dead before he even hit the ground...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Very sorry......... Next chapter 'Our Reunion' But whose reunion? 


	19. Our Reunion

AN: Sorry about the wait, I would have updated yesterday but I got a detention after school (and another one tomorrow, Saturday) Of course I didn't tell my parents and now they've grounded me... so in a way this is good because I'll be hanging around the house long enough this weekend to write more chapters ^_^  
  
And sorry about all the typos I keep making, and most of all - sorry about the cliff hanger!!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Our Reunion  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The darkness around them was like a suffocating blanket... Kagome almost felt claustrophobic and in the middle of the open sand bridge no less.  
  
"You ok?" She called across to Miroku in a slightly shrilly tone.  
  
"Oh, I'm fine. You?" his voice held light amusement at her obvious discomfort.  
  
"Great... just great..." it wasn't just claustrophobia that was setting in on her... it was anxiety that made her feel slightly queasy. The sun had set a few hours ago, and she kept getting horrible shivers down her spine, shivers of foreboding since it was too warm a night to be chills.  
  
There was a hiss beside her and light flared into life. Kagome glanced across to where Miroku was busy lighting a lantern. He somehow managed to juggle this between riding as well. With a snap he closed the lantern glass case and fastened it to the saddle behind him so it wouldn't fall off. "Better?"  
  
"Thanks..." Kagome felt slight relief at being able to see where she was going now... but she still felt uneasy.  
  
"I've only just realised this... but you look spookily similar to a Miko named Kikyo." Miroku frowned across at her. In this dim, poor light Kagome's features blurred to look very much like Kikyo's. Probably due to the fact that Kagome wasn't smiling anymore.  
  
"She's my cousin."  
  
"And... you say you've met Inuyasha?" He could just imagine how their meeting would have hit off. It had probably involved a lot of bad language and destruction of inanimate objects knowing Inuyasha.  
  
"Not the best pretence for a relationship, being the cousin and look-alike of the woman who betrayed him." And of course, betraying him again hadn't been a very good pretence either.  
  
"So how's Sango doing?" Miroku suddenly asked. "What's Fushi like?"  
  
"Like... like a baby I guess." Kagome couldn't help but smile at Miroku's eagerness. "He's very cute though."  
  
"Naturally. He's my son isn't he?"  
  
"Hm, well..." now there was a slight narcissistic view. "He looks more like you than Sango I guess... he cries a lot... sleeps a lot... he eats a heck of a lot..."  
  
"What about Sango?"  
  
"She's doing fine." Kagome smiled again. "But how the hell she manages to handle Inuyasha and Fushi AND Lady Inu is all beyond me. She's a very capable girl... you should be proud."  
  
"I am..."  
  
Kagome glanced across at him, a troubling thought plaguing her mind. "So... why did you leave in the first place?"  
  
"Family... though of course, I forgot that I didn't know how to get back on the island..." Miroku rolled his eyes at his own behaviour. "I came back every night to the bridge... except around the time of the new moon because it was too dark."  
  
"What a genius."  
  
"Thanks." Miroku sighed. "You have no idea how much hell it's been. I kept hearing rumours... I heard Kikyo died under nasty circumstances... an Inu Youkai had been captured by a warlord in league with a dark Miko or a sorceress of some kind."  
  
"Lord Inu was captured." Kagome told him quietly. "He's dead now."  
  
"Oh..." Miroku sighed. "I thought it might have been Inuyasha. Well... I think I have a lot of catching up to do."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
The battlefield had very suddenly gone quiet as the soldiers all churned their fighting to a halt. All eyes were drawn to the rising slope above the battle now, where Sesshomaru stood expressionlessly looking down at the pathetic human form of his younger brother.  
  
It wasn't complete silence though... as a quiet humming murmur spread like a soft whispering breeze around the field. Inuyasha was dead... the war belonged to Sesshomaru now.  
  
Though this didn't seem to make Sesshomaru as happy as they would have thought. He snapped a cool glare from Inuyasha to the warriors below... fixing his eyes on one particular warrior who was now holding his bow slack against his side, looking smug.  
  
Faster than the eye could follow, Sesshomaru arrived before the warrior and had him dangling by his neck as Inuyasha had been. "You fool!"  
  
"You were hesitating to kill him - my lord!" the man dropped his bow as he raised both hands to claw at Sesshomaru's tightening grip.  
  
"He was mine for the taking - you have stolen that from me!" Sesshomaru gave his neck a sharp jerk and the warrior spasmed once before going limp.  
  
He dropped him with disgust and glared around, daring someone else to challenge his authority. All eyes suddenly averted away... the Southern warriors under Inuyasha all looked very worried by now.  
  
Sesshomaru glanced back up to where Inuyasha lay and let out a sigh to stem his anger. How long had he waited for this very moment... to squeeze the last breath out of his younger brother... the little brat who had stolen the throne from him... the little boy who had somehow managed to gain favouritism with their father. Sesshomaru had been waiting a VERY long time to get his own back...  
  
But what he felt now was far from satisfaction. All he felt was emptiness that he hadn't been the one to kill Inuyasha. Looking out over the field, he could see the majority of the dead were Inuyasha's men... this hadn't been much of a battle... it had been an execution.  
  
Where was the satisfaction in that?  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"I always knew there was something not quite right about that girl..." Miroku said quietly. "She never seemed quite right in the head..."  
  
"What... you think she was insane?" Kagome raised her eyebrows in surprise at him.  
  
"No... just... not normal. Every other young girl her age was out and about trying to make lives for themselves and catch husbands... Kikyo always struck me as a religious nut."  
  
"She was a Miko."  
  
"Yes ... but a really weird Miko."  
  
"Look - we're here." Kagome said suddenly as they arrived out of the forest at the edge of the wide expanse of grassy meadows that lay before the palace. She broke the gelding into a run. "Bring back any memories?"  
  
Miroku had paused momentarily to take it all in... the last time he'd seen this place had been almost a year ago. He'd sorta missed it. He didn't waste too much time reminiscing as Kagome was fast leaving him behind in the dust. He quickly raced after her.  
  
He couldn't wait to see Sango... he wanted to see how motherhood had changed her... hopefully she'd be slightly warmer than before, otherwise he was in for a hard time trying to convince her that he hadn't abandoned her.  
  
Though he was mildly surprised when he arrived at the gates to find no guards or sentries whatsoever. "It's a little... emptier than what I remember..."  
  
"All the men are off at war." Kagome told him hurriedly as she slipped off her gelding and dragged him off to the stable, Miroku doing the same. "But Sango and Lady Inu should both be inside."  
  
"Good."  
  
The inside of the palace was just as empty as it had been when Kagome had left it. Most of the staff had headed off to their home villages to be with their family at the dawning of the war that would decide their fate. Kagome really hoped the South won...  
  
Though in all likeliness... it WAS the new moon... the South hadn't been given much of a running chance.  
  
"I think we should split up." Miroku said suddenly. "I'll go look for Sango - you find Lady Inu."  
  
"Ok..." Kagome hurried off down the hall, heading for the throne room while Miroku went upstairs to Sango's quarters had been. Even if he didn't find Sango in there, at least he might find some evidence of his son.  
  
Kagome arrived at the doors to the throne room and slowly pushed them open to slip inside. At once she saw Lady Inu pacing the length of the floor as she usually did when she was upset or worried, and at the same time Lady Inu stopped to look up at Kagome.  
  
Kagome felt a small nudge of guilt... did Lady Inu know what everyone else in the palace knew about Kagome? No doubt Lady Inu would hate her too.  
  
"Kagome - where have you been?!" Lady Inu suddenly closed the distance between them and enveloped the young girl in a tight embrace. "I've been so worried - where did you go?!"  
  
"In short... I brought Miroku back..." Kagome said awkwardly, stunned by the Queen's behaviour.  
  
"Good... maybe he'll have the sense to talk Sango into going back to the mainland with Fushi." The Queen released her and resumed her pacing.  
  
"You want... Sango to leave?" Kagome stared at her in surprise.  
  
"Kagome - it's lost!" Lady Inu pressed her hands to her face in distress. "We're lost - it's the new moon and Inuyasha is out there fighting a demon's war as a human - everyone must know his weakness by now! He's probably dead by now!"  
  
"Don't say that... you can't be sure..." Kagome rubbed her throat... that lump was returning, making it hard for her to breathe.  
  
Lady Inu stopped to look out of the window at the lands below. The sun was beginning to peek out over the horizon. Her head dropped and she battled in vain to keep the tears from falling... but failed... an ironic metaphor for the fight her son was probably going through.  
  
"It isn't right... he's just a child..." Lady Inu clenched her fists. "How can Sesshomaru force such responsibility on him...? such pain..." she pressed his fisted hands against the window. "He's taken Inuyasha's life away before he can even begin living it... he's not a King... he's just my baby boy..."  
  
Kagome snapped her hand up to her cheeks as she suddenly realised her eyes were leaking. The Queen's pessimistic views were getting to her...  
  
"He only learnt how to tie his laces a few months ago." Lady Inu's voice wavered.  
  
Under normal circumstances, Kagome would have been tempted to laugh. But there was nothing funny to laugh about now.  
  
A long pregnant pause spread over the next few minutes, until Lady Inu suddenly sucked in a breath and stepped back from the window. "Oh no..."  
  
Kagome glanced up in confusion, before moving to join her. Looking out over the meadows she saw something that set her alarm bells ringing. An army... just as large as the one that had left, if not slightly larger, was exiting the forest and heading towards the palace.  
  
It couldn't have been the Southern army... there were bound to have been casualties during the battle, the armies numbers would have been cut dramatically. There would be crippled soldiers with them...  
  
It had to be the Northern army with Sesshomaru.  
  
Kagome's breath caught in her throat. "Oh no... what do we do?!"  
  
"Kagome - you and Miroku take Sango and Fushi out of here as fast as you can!" Lady Inu said firmly, ushering the girl across the room towards the back door. "Go out the back entrance and stay out of sight, there's no need for you young people to die too."  
  
"Wait - what about you?!" Kagome tried to resist being pushed along, but the Queen was stronger than she let on.  
  
"Don't worry about me - Sesshomaru will kill all the humans here - just get the others out of here." Lady Inu shoved her out the back door, before promptly closing it.  
  
Kagome stood there in mute shock for a moment, before realising she should probably go warn everyone else, she could come back for Lady Inu later, possibly with Miroku who had the physical strength to drag her out of there.  
  
Kagome raced along the corridor, heading for Sango's room, hoping that either Miroku or Sango, or both were in there. She turned a corner sharply, before screeching to a halt as a hunched man in the baboon pelt blocked her way. Not that she'd needed to stop for him... she have just run straight through him... but there was a certain creepy factor to running through Naraku that didn't appeal to her.  
  
"What do you want?" Kagome said guardedly. Expecting more demands or deals from him.  
  
"Just came to tell you, baby... you're free." Naraku said with a hint of smugness.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You've done your job. Inuyasha is dead... the ownership of your soul is yours again."  
  
The information sunk into Kagome quickly. "No... no... don't set me free! You can't set me free! He's still alive - please don't set me free!"  
  
"Goodbye Kagome." Naraku mouth curved into a smirk, and he disappeared.  
  
"No!" Kagome gaped at the place he had been. "You can't do this."  
  
Then she started to get angry, and kicked the wall angrily. "You bastard! He can't be dead... not now... I didn't get a chance to explain!"  
  
The last thing she wanted was for Inuyasha to hate her in death... this couldn't be happening.  
  
Though why not? Everything bad seemed to be happening to Kagome lately... and somehow she'd brought all her bad luck with her to settle on this Kingdom. Somehow it didn't quite feel very real anymore. Life couldn't get THIS bad could it?  
  
But she knew it was very real... and she had to keep it together... she had to save Sango and Miroku and their son. She couldn't just break down and cry now, no matter how much she wanted to.  
  
However... she still cried as she raced off to find the others. "Sango!"  
  
They weren't in her room, and Fushi wasn't there either... no doubt he was with Sango. Kagome sniffled and hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes as she carried on searching. "Sango?! Miroku?!" Maybe it was a bit of a long shot but... "Fushi?!"  
  
Kagome ran past one of the windows and paused briefly to glance outside, to judge how much time she had to get out of the palace before the North arrived. She didn't plan on hanging around... by now she would wager that Sesshomaru knew that she'd told a tiny fib about Inuyasha's time of the month. He wouldn't be giving her any cure today...  
  
The army wasn't far off... only a hundred metres or so from the lakes. Movement down below caught Kagome's eye and she glanced down to the courtyard before the palace and blanched as she saw Sango standing there alone with Fushi. She was looking off through the gate at the approaching army.  
  
"Idiot girl!" Kagome burst out and shot down the corridor, racing down the stairs, taking three steps at a time in her rush. She slammed into the front panel doors and all but tumbled down the stairs outside to grab Sango. "Sango - we have to get out of here! What are you standing around for?!"  
  
"Kagome?!" Sango had jumped in surprise to see her. "What are you doing back here?! I thought I warned you not to come back!"  
  
"That doesn't matter - we have to get out of here!" Kagome pleadingly tugged on her shoulder, trying to get her moving.  
  
"Why... why are you crying?" Sango seemed a little oblivious to everything right then.  
  
Kagome tried hard to stifle her sob, but it came as a slightly strangled groan. "It... Inuyasha... he's dead... there's nothing for me to stay for now - we have to find Miroku and get out of here before the North arrive."  
  
"Find Miroku...?" Sango stared at her. "What's that supposed to mean? And what are you talking about the North for?"  
  
"The north!" Kagome spun her around and pointed through the main gates at the approaching men. "The guys coming this way - we have to get out the back way before they arrive and kill us."  
  
Sango suddenly laughed. "You're such a dope... this is probably the most fantastic day of our lives!"  
  
Kagome stared at her. Had she just gone insane? "What?"  
  
"Kagome - those aren't the Northern Warriors - they're OUR warriors!" Sango pointed. "Look - can't you see? And they're all there - they're all alive!"  
  
Kagome squinted harder for a while, not quite trusting Sango's judgement and was ready to take flight at any moment. But soon she realised it too as they came closer, coming between the lakes. "They're all there..."  
  
She couldn't be certain if they were all there... but it roughly looked as if everyone was there... except the one person she wanted to see most.  
  
Kagome gave a sigh of relief and anguish at the same time, trying to calm her racing heart. The Queen had given her a bit of a scare then... but there was nothing to fear. Well... not much to fear as long as they didn't remember she was up for execution still...  
  
The captain of the guard was in the lead, looking a little bedraggled and bloody like everyone else. He greeted the two young girls with a nod. "Lady Kagome... Sango..."  
  
The intensity of war must have washed Kagome's betrayal from his mind... either that or he had heavier things weighing on his mind.  
  
"How'd it go?" Sango asked bluntly. "What happened? Who won? Did we win?"  
  
"It was quite... amazing really..." the captain dismounted from his horse as everyone else filtered through the gates looking tired and ready for a good long nap. "We didn't win... but the war's been put on hiatus."  
  
"I don't understand..." Kagome muttered.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sango asked Mikato. "Put on hiatus?"  
  
"Well..." the captain glanced back at the men still chugging through the gates. "There we all were... three thirds of us dead and dying... and then... Lord Inuyasha turned human... I've never seen that before..."  
  
Kagome's stomach had twisted into a huge knot, while Sango clutched Fushi tighter to his chest.  
  
"And then... one of the archers shot him... and he like... just died..."  
  
Both Sango and Kagome flinched right then. "Oh god... we lost then..." Sango whispered.  
  
"But then, Lord Sesshomaru got pissed off at the archer, saying he was left 'unsatisfied'." Mikato shook his head. "He took out a second sword and swept this... this... shockwave like thing around the battlefield."  
  
"And?" Sango seemed unimpressed.  
  
"And then everyone who was dead, got up!" Mikato laughed as if the idea was ludicrous. "Shinzo... I saw him get run through myself... he stood up as if nothing had happened."  
  
"Inuyasha - what about Inuyasha?" Kagome broke in. "Did he get up?"  
  
"Can't you hear for yourself?" Mikato glanced at her.  
  
Sango and Kagome stopped and listened for a moment before a familiar voice rose above the clattering sounds of horses' feet, armour and the general sounds of relieved soldiers.  
  
"You assholes - put me down this minute - I order you!"  
  
Kagome's heart beat picked up.  
  
"Ow - don't touch that - let me go - let me go right now so I can kick that maniacs head in right now - kill me will he?! I'll show that bastard - he'll rue the day he ever - OW! What did I just say about touching that?!!"  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kagome had to clamp a hand over her mouth in case she cried out.  
  
The swarm of soldiers cleared slightly and she was given a clear view of two rather irritated looking warriors carrying a stretcher between them... to which Inuyasha had been tied.  
  
"What's with the bondage?" Sango asked.  
  
"He wouldn't let us bring him back - he wanted to go after the North army by himself." Mikato rolled his eyes. "We had to knock him out and tie him to a stretcher to get him to co-operate."  
  
"Figures..." Sango said flatly.  
  
Kagome was busy taking Inuyasha's horrible wounds. His arm looked broken, and so many deep gashes littered his body... and they could all be seen through the hundreds of rips and tears in his clothes... he might as well not have bothered with any armour for the good it had done.  
  
They had managed to strap his arm down, and currently his brow was wrapped up tightly with a length of cloth that was no dotted red with blood.... The cloth covered from his forehead down to his eyes, so he was effectively blinded... not a bad thing since they probably didn't want to get him too excited right then.  
  
"Untie me RIGHT now or I chop ALL your heads off!" Inuyasha raged, twisting violently.  
  
"You should count yourself lucky - you didn't have to walk all the way back, your majesty." Mikato told him.  
  
"Bite me!" Inuyasha snapped in his vague direction since he couldn't see his captain. "I could take him - I could take him right now! I'll rip his fucking heart out!"  
  
"Maybe later." Mikato patted his good shoulder, but only earned himself a warning growl. "Take him up to the chambers... let Urami take care of him."  
  
Inuyasha had suddenly gone very quiet, and his head tilted slightly in Kagome's direction. Kagome saw this and began to panic... how the hell did he knew she was there.  
  
"...Kagome..." he whispered, trying to decipher if she was really there or not.  
  
"You'll like that won't you, your majesty." The captain of guard continued.  
  
  
  
"Don't fucking patronise me, bastard!" Inuyasha snapped and suddenly began struggling again. "Kagome!"  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to call back, but Sango made quick neck slashing motions, warning her to keep her mouth shut.  
  
"Kagome - you fucking bitch I know you're there!" he snarled, trying to snap his bonds to get at her. "Why aren't you dead yet?!"  
  
Kagome clamped her mouth shut and turned her eyes to the ground, lest anyone see the hurt.  
  
"Inuyasha you moron..." Sango sighed.  
  
"I knew it - Sango - you interfered again! She could have just left the island scant free but you stopped her didn't you?!" he struggled again, ignoring the pain shooting up his broken arm. "You're both useless! Every woman in the world is useless and annoying and-"  
  
He was cut off as a cloth was promptly stuffed into his mouth to shut him up. Miroku looked down at the hanyou grimly, shaking his head slowly. "What have you let yourself turn into Inuyasha?"  
  
"Mmfokff?!" Inuyasha obviously recognised his voice and struggled even more violently than before, managing to spit out his gag. "I'll fucking kill you, you bastard!!"  
  
Inuyasha was getting worryingly close to breaking those straining bonds and Miroku quickly punched him in the stomach with a wince. "Sorry..." he winced with sympathy pain as Inuyasha slumped back onto the stretcher with a breathy gasp, falling semi-conscious. "I guess you're safer if we just put you out for a while..."  
  
The warriors continued moving Inuyasha back inside, looking much more relieved that he wasn't talking anymore and could spew no more abuse at them. Kagome gave a dull sigh and followed them inside. "I'll go tell Lady Inu... I'm sure she'll be relieved..."  
  
That just left Sango and Miroku, who suddenly glanced at each other trying to gauge the other's reaction. Miroku's gaze flicked down to the baby in her arms and then back up to her face. "Hi Sango..." was all he could really muster to say right then.  
  
Sango stared at him, before slowly nodding. "Hi..."  
  
Without warning she suddenly hurried up the steps and brushed past him with no other kind of greeting. Miroku turned to track her movement as she ran up the stairs.  
  
The last thing he heard before she was gone from sight was Fushi beginning to cry, it tore at his heart to hear it.  
  
"Wow..." Was all he could really manage as well.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: You really should have known that when I kill Inuyasha it never lasts that long ^_^ This is what...? The fourth time I've killed him? Well, I had to revive him because there's still a major plot to follow here. Anyway - Next chapter - 'For Forgiveness'  
  
Wonder what that implies...? 


	20. For Forgiveness

AN: Well I didn't get the job in Waterstones (that job went to my arch rival and best friend ¬_¬) But I DID get a job working under Timperley Nunnery. And if you're thinking I work with Nuns... then you're right.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
For Forgiveness  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Over the next two days the palace seemed to fill up again with staff and servants alike. Though, fortunately for Kagome, none seemed to remember the little fiasco that had happened before around Naraku and Kagome... they seemed to have forgotten completely that she was a supposed traitor.  
  
However, the one person who hadn't really forgotten was Inuyasha... just to spite her current luck. She'd tried to go see him that morning he'd gotten back, but Urami had politely refused her entrance into his room... saying his highness was busy resting from his severe injuries.  
  
Kagome paced the length of her own bedroom with a tight frown creasing her forehead. Every now and then she stopped and listened, trying to hear what might be going on next door... but with her pathetic human hearing she could only hear the sigh of the ocean breeze outside along the cliffs.  
  
Great... now she was starting to think like Inuyasha... calling her own abilities 'weak' and 'pathetic'...  
  
Growing bored and a little too antsy, she stepped out of her room and looked down the corridor to the next room over. She saw a heavily built soldier standing guard over Inuyasha's door... the man glanced over at her and stared at her, as if daring her to try and break past him. Kagome just switched on a polite smiled and zipped back into her room before she began to look too suspicious.  
  
Ok... so the front entrance of his room was blocked... but he still had a window didn't he?  
  
Kagome hurried over to her own window and pushed it open to allow herself access to the outdoor balcony that ran around the upper half of the palace. Slipping out, she picked her way carefully across the wooden boards to reach Inuyasha's window to see if he was inside.  
  
Well... she didn't really need to look inside since the window was already open and part of the drape was sticking out onto the balcony. Kagome frowned as she spotted little dabs of dried blood here and there around the window, before poking her head inside to find Inuyasha was gone.  
  
Typical.  
  
He'd done a runner...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango stifled a yawn with the back of her hand as the Queen paced past the throne to look out of the window into the night. She would normally be sitting in the throne... only it didn't really belong to her anymore.  
  
"I'm so relieved Sango..." Lady Inu said quietly. "I really thought we were done for."  
  
"Me too..." Sango blinked tired moisture from her eyes. "I talked to the Captain of the Guard... he told me what happened in more detail. He said the sword Sesshomaru used was another one bequeathed to him by Lord Inu..."  
  
"Tenseiga." Lady Inu nodded. "A sword that can save hundreds of lives with one swing... as opposed to destroy hundreds like Tessaiga...."  
  
Sango shivered. "Sounds dodgy..."  
  
"Ironic really... how the sword of mass destruction went to Inuyasha and the sword of mercy went to Sesshomaru."  
  
"Lord Inu was old..." Sango shrugged, as if that would explain his reasoning.  
  
"You're probably right." Lady Inu frowned. "But why would he allow Inuyasha to live... he had the war won, he owned the South for a short time there... but he threw it all away when he revived Inuyasha... and not just Inuyasha - but everyone else who died."  
  
Sango cocked her head. "Mikato said that Sesshomaru said something about being unsatisfied with the events of the battle. When he revived Inuyasha and everyone else he said that they will all live to fight another day... they've been given another chance to become stronger and make a fair fight."  
  
"It's all about honour I suppose..." Lady Inu tutted. "Just like Sesshomaru... he'd rather leave a fight incomplete than win a pointless victory."  
  
"We should be thankful... at least we have more time..." Sango sighed.  
  
Lady Inu suddenly perked up and turned around. "Sango...?"  
  
There was something suspicious about her tone and Sango glanced up dubiously, waiting for what she knew was coming.  
  
"Did you know Miroku was back?" Lady Inu said lightly, as if it were an easy topic of conversation.  
  
"Uh... yeah... I've seen him around..." Sango said while rubbing her elbow idly. "I said 'hi' to him..."  
  
Lady Inu stomped her foot in exasperation. "Sango! We are talking about the father of your child here - not the early morning messenger!"  
  
Sango edged back a bit. "I know...!"  
  
"What's the matter with you two?" Lady Inu gasped at her. "Two Days - tw0 - DAYS - and all you've said is 'hi' - what, are you still a virgin?!"  
  
Lady Inu was in one of her matchmaking moods... she could be ruthless if she felt the need. Sango just flushed red and looked away. "You think this is easy for me? Just to accept him back like nothing has happened?"  
  
"But NOTHING has happened!"  
  
"That's the problem then!" Sango snapped at her. "I've been a single mother for all of Fushi's life - I had to go through the pregnancy all on my own with no help or support from the father... and..."  
  
Lady Inu rubbed her temples with a sigh. "Ok... don't worry about it... it's late, you should probably go get some sleep. Check on Fushi."  
  
Sango nodded slowly and walked off out of throne room via the back door. All along the way back to her rooms she kept nervously checking the corridors for signs of Miroku... the last thing she wanted to happen was to bump into him accidentally.  
  
When Sango finally arrived back at her room she gave a light sigh of relief finding that she'd managed to slip undetected through the palace quite effectively. Well... it WAS pretty late, so no doubt wherever Miroku was he was bound to be asleep.  
  
Sango slipped back the door and promptly tripped over Kiroi the big black dog who was sleeping just before the door. But she didn't even let herself give a peep of a squeal as she landed flat on the floor - because at once she'd spotted someone else in her room... on her bed to be more exact...  
  
Well... she was right... Miroku was asleep at least...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"If I was an irritable, grouchy, unreasonably angry and outrageously gorgeous Inu hanyou..." Kagome looked around the balcony. "Where would I go...?"  
  
She had to admit it was awfully stupid of him... to run off in the middle of the night with wounds as bad as the ones he'd received was like suicide. They weren't just flesh wounds either... apparently he'd somehow managed to crack his skull into three fragments and shatter his entire upperarm.  
  
Kagome had once broken a finger... and the pain had made her faint dead away at once. How the hell did Inuyasha manage to summon the strength to run away from his bed?  
  
"Idiot..." Kagome sighed as she vaguely tried to follow his blood trail (ew!) along the balcony. It seemed he had only gone a few metres... before he'd presumably jumped over the rail to the ground below. Looking down, Kagome could see disturbed grass and shrubs around the base of the palace wall.  
  
But Kagome wasn't a natural tracker like Kouga was... or even Inuyasha for that matter... apart from a few disturbed bushes she couldn't see which direction he'd gone after that.  
  
Well... there was no harm in going looking for him, she sighed.  
  
So with a carefulness and awkwardness that would have made Inuyasha embarrassed for her, she climbed over the rail and edged her body down until she was literally just hanging by her hands, her feet as close to the ground as possible.  
  
It was still quite a long way... but those bushes did look fairly comfortable to land on. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath... before finally letting go of the balcony.  
  
She gasped as she fell, a frightened tingle spreading through her limbs... until she suddenly hit the bushes below with a rustle and a thump. With a groan she began to sit up and brushed the leaves and twigs out of her hair and clothes...  
  
"Maybe I should have taken the stairs..." Kagome reasoned as he pulled out a thorn from her hand with a wince.  
  
Well... there was no point beating around the bush (oh how hilarious) so she carefully pushed herself to her feet and padded off in the vague direction she thought Inuyasha might have headed... she was basically just following her nose since she had to real idea where he'd gone. She'd just have to take a wild stab in the dark...  
  
Which was what she'd probably get from Inuyasha once she found him. No doubt he was still mad at her... but she needed to get him alone so she could explain. And it was best to explain things to him when he was weakened so she'd have a chance to escape if he decided to try and throttle her again.  
  
Kagome wandered around the grassy gardens to the side of the palace for a while, wondering where to go next when her eyes fell on the perimeter wall that surrounded the palace. Part of the wall had been broken away to produce a hole roughly big enough for a man to fit through. She'd never noticed it before... so it was probably new.  
  
She just tutted and rolled her eyes. So not only had he escaped his room, but he'd escaped the palace too. Where was he planning to go? Back up North to challenge Sesshomaru with one arm in a sling? He must have received some brain damage with that hard knock to the head.  
  
Kagome stopped as she passed through the hole as she considered what she'd just thought. Brain damage wasn't that unreasonable to assume right now actually...  
  
Shaking her head, Kagome straightened outside the wall and looked around. To her left were the two lakes, and to her right, were the forests and the Southern cliffs.  
  
Which way would Inuyasha go?  
  
"What a moron..." she said again, sighing in frustration. "Half dead and he runs away... of all the idiotic, stupid, insanely bad ideas-"  
  
She stopped herself short as her gaze fell on the big old weeping willow tree beside the lake. Kagome had quite fondly name it 'their tree'... not that she'd share that information with anyone, especially Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome picked up her skirts and started to jog across the grassy meadow towards the lakeside, towards the miserable tree... where a miserable Hanyou should be hanging out be... with any luck.  
  
As Kagome neared the tree she saw him... even in the poor light she could at least make out his form lying a short distance from the tree. Kagome didn't like how Inuyasha seemed to have fallen asleep out in the open air... that was slightly worrying, so she quickly sped up her pace. "Inuyasha...!"  
  
He didn't stir as she called out to him, until she finally reached his side and forcibly rolled him over onto his back, trying to do this with the utmost care. "Inuyasha?" Out of instinct she brushed a hand against his cheek, only to withdraw it quickly as the skin she touched seemed to burn her.  
  
He had a fever.  
  
"Oh you complete, utter moron!" she growled angrily at him, her own concern making her livid. "What were you thinking?!"  
  
As she fussed over him he slowly began to stir with a slight groan and tried to swallow with some difficulty. Kagome brushed back his bangs whilst being careful not to actually touch his head... it was still bandaged (by Urami presumably) and the white bands covered his left eye, so he could now see out of the right one at least.  
  
"Inuyasha?" Kagome hovered over him. "Are you ok? Can you hear me?"  
  
"...Kagome...?" he frowned lightly as she saw his eye open slowly. Even in the dim light of the moon she could see his pupils were so dilated that there was little gold rimming his eyes to be seen.  
  
"It's me..." she whispered with a soft smile. "It's ok, I'm here now... it'll be ok now..."  
  
"I should... fucking well think so..." Inuyasha managed to gasp.  
  
Kagome frowned at him in confusion. "What?"  
  
Without any warning Inuyasha growled and suddenly flipped their positions. And despite Inuyasha being as ill as he was, he could still put an awful lot of strength behind that grip on her neck. "Don't you dare touch me you bitch!" he ground out as he pressed her harder into the ground.  
  
Kagome's eyes were beginning to water, and she desperately pulled and tugged at his hand, trying to get him off her. "Inuyasha... please..."  
  
"Shut your mouth!" he snapped, but he was beginning to sway.  
  
"Please... you'll hurt yourself..." Kagome gasped breathlessly.  
  
That was just like Kagome... typically thinking of something trivial when her life was in danger. Suddenly Inuyasha couldn't be bothered strangling her anymore and slumped to the ground beside her, fighting to stay conscious.  
  
Kagome blinked rapidly, trying to clear the stars from her vision... before realising she was actually looking at the real stars above her head in the sky. She cautiously felt her throat and turned her head to look at Inuyasha... only to see him dragging himself away to the edge of the lake.  
  
"Where... are you going?" she rasped, her voice slightly strained.  
  
"Too hot..." he answered shortly as he reached the bank, and suddenly dunked his whole upper body into the water to cool down.  
  
When he didn't come back up again Kagome started to worry, and scrambled after him on her hands and knees. With a grunt of effort she managed to pull his shoulders up, only to have him slap her hands away so she would drop him back in the water.  
  
"Don't you try and drown on my time!" Kagome growled and yanked him up with a strength that surprised even herself. She dragged him out of the water and lay him on his back. "What's with you?!"  
  
"Mom... can you open the window... just a bit..." Inuyasha murmured, his eyes drifting closed.  
  
"Inuyasha...! Don't go all hallucinated on me - I need to talk to you." Kagome said loudly, pushing back his moping wet bangs so she could see his face. "What happened with Naraku - what you heard - it wasn't the truth! I was just saying those things to get rid of him, I never planned on hurting you in any way!"  
  
Inuyasha sighed and rolled his head away from her. "What are you talking about...?"  
  
Kagome closed her eyes in despair. "Please... stay with it... you need to understand..."  
  
"I understand - I understand everything." He started off, sounding annoyed before turning back to her quizzically. "Which one are you again?"  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
"Sango...?"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Urami..." He wrinkled his nose. "Kikyo?"  
  
"Kagome!" She all but shouted. "Oh come on Inuyasha - it isn't that hard!"  
  
He suddenly began to chuckle as he found what she'd said amusing. Kagome stared at him... wondering how dirty Inuyasha's mind really was.  
  
"Why did you leave your room?" she asked, changing the subject.  
  
"Too hot..." Inuyasha repeated with a light shrug of one shoulder. He still found whatever she'd said amusing and the smile still played on his lips. "... hot... yeah..."  
  
"Listen Inuyasha, you have to understand..." she squeezed his shoulder to get his attention. "I never meant to hurt you..."  
  
The hazy focus in his eyes seemed to a clear for a moment, and his expression changed from amusement to anger so fast she barely saw it change. "You bitch!" he reached up with hand, heading for her neck again, but she swotted it away, taking advantage of his weakened state.  
  
"We already did that, remember?" she pointed out.  
  
Inuyasha growl and tried to shuffle away from her. "Get lost Kagome... I don't want to talk to you."  
  
"But I need to talk to you." She easily followed him. "Talk to Sango if you won't listen to me - she'll tell you the same. I didn't betray you - I never plannned on betraying anyone. It's just... I needed to come here to get the Shikon, to hide my essence from Naraku so he couldn't contain my soul."  
  
Inuyasha growled, growing irritated with her presence already. Kagome ignored the warning and grabbed the front of his shirt to hold him in place so he couldn't shuffle away anymore.  
  
"I mean it - I never came to hurt you - I only came for the jewel!"  
  
"Then why did you say all those things to Naraku?!" he spat back.  
  
"Because he wanted me to kill you to get my soul back - I thought you were coming back with the Shikon so I just said those things to get rid of him quicker!" Kagome bunched her fist into his shirt. "Please - you have to believe me - I NEVER planned on hurting you."  
  
Inuyasha shoved her hand off and sat up, a bit of a mistake since his head reeled and he had to slump back down. "Why didn't you just tell me?! Rather than risk me finding out like this?! You must be lying!"  
  
"I'm not, Inuyasha!" she slapped her palms against the ground to demonstrate her anguish. "I didn't tell you because I knew you'd react like this - I just thought maybe I wouldn't have to tell you at all! I could deal with this problem without involving you and when it was over I could stay here with you - god!... don't hate me... I can't stand it when you're mad at me..."  
  
He didn't fully understand her reasoning... but she'd sounded honest... like she'd spoken from the heart. Her voice had even broken on that last part...  
  
She must have been a very good actress... or maybe she really was telling the truth.  
  
Whatever the reason, Inuyasha decided not to pursue it anymore. His head hurt because of Sesshomaru... not to mention how much he hurt inside because of Kagome. He just wanted to rest and get better... he'd deal with this in the morning when he didn't feel quiet so hot.  
  
During his silent contemplation Kagome had cautiously pulled him half onto her lap and leant her back against the willow tree, seeing as he didn't seem to be protesting anymore.  
  
"Kagome...?" he muttered, shifting to get comfortable.  
  
"Yeah?" she waited for him to tell her to leave.  
  
"I wanna sleep..."  
  
"Me too..." Kagome closed her eyes and dropped her head back against the tree.  
  
"Sing for me."  
  
Kagome's head shot up and her eyes snapped open. She opened her mouth the protest... she didn't like singing. Singing was like bearing her soul to complete strangers... she didn't want people to see too deep.  
  
But then again, Inuyasha wasn't exactly a stranger to her. And last time it had really helped to calm him down. So with a resigned sigh she let her head fall back and tried to search her memory for a suitable song... she didn't think 'An old man and his stick' would cut it this time.  
  
She decided to settle for an old lullaby that her Aunt Kaede had used to sing for her.  
  
"When fortune fails you,  
  
When you walk a path with strain...  
  
Take my hand in yours,  
  
And we'll walk this path again..."  
  
Already she could feel the tension leaving the muscles in Inuyasha's shoulders. He gave a small sigh and turned his head slightly towards her, closing his eyes as rest took over him. She could help but smile at that.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't help but smile inside, marvelling at the quality of her voice. Unlike Kikyo, Kagome's voice swayed to match her mood whenever she opened her mouth to speak. When she was angry she let him know about it with her voice... when she was happy her voice sounded sweet and light... she laughed when she was happy.  
  
Kikyo's voice had always been slightly monotone... she'd rarely, if ever, raised it or lowered it no matter what mood she was in. Urami's had been even worse... her voice always seemed to fall slightly flat and irritating on the ears when she spoke... Inuyasha was unfortunate enough to hear her attempts at singing a few times too early in the morning.  
  
But Kagome's voice was beautiful in every sense of the word. Kikyo's voice had made him uneasy... Urami's voice just plain made him irritable at times... while Kagome's voice had the power to soothe him... just like her scent.  
  
"The weight on your shoulders,  
  
Will break you till you fall,  
  
The beginning of an end...  
  
Was it worth it after all...?"  
  
Inuyasha's breathing had fallen into a steady pattern... and he now lay completely relaxed in her lap. Kagome paused her singing a moment to see what he would do... but he seemed to be sleeping now. Kagome sighed and brushed her hand lightly against his cheek, closing her eyes as she relaxed.  
  
She decided the change the lyrics of the last verse, just a little, to suit how she felt.  
  
"Will you walk with me,  
  
Now that you've set me free,  
  
Together we'll welcome back the night  
  
For you are... my love...  
  
And you are my light..."  
  
Kagome wasn't aware of Inuyasha's eyes snapping open... she didn't feel it or see it with her eyes closed and as relaxed as she was. She smiled to herself and echoed the last note, thinking she was alone. "...My Love..."  
  
Inuyasha wasn't a complete fool. He knew the song off by heart as well, well enough to know that she'd changed the words of that last part. It should have been 'friend' not 'love'...  
  
And then he understood. Kagome had never betrayed him... she'd never planned on betraying him. How could she when she was in love with him...?  
  
For a moment he sat in perpetual stillness contemplating this for a minute, trying to figure out how he felt... a difficult task through his muggy stupor.  
  
Eventually he decided on the simplest explanation. It made him happy... it made him feel warm inside... and strangely sleepy. He shifted closer to Kagome and let himself drift off. For once... at peace in her company again.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter - 'Compromising positions' 


	21. Compromising Positions

AN: Um... let's see... at the pace I'm going I should be finishing the story around chapter 26 - but don't quote me on that because some times it stretches on (I original predicted it be only seventeen chapters... O_o)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Compromising Positions.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Sango - Sango!!" Inuyasha slid around a corridor corner, deftly ducking a heavy load of washing that one of the maids were carrying and raced on. All whilst trying to wrestle the sling off his arm. He arrived at her bedroom door with another skid. "Sango - I need to ask you something really-"  
  
He stopped dead when he threw the door back and looked inside to see Sango wasn't even awake yet... six o'clock in the morning and she wasn't up yet? But there was a reason... since she was happily curled up with Miroku on the bed... in an unusually innocent position mind... but she wasn't getting up any time soon.  
  
Inuyasha just clicked his tongue and rolled his eyes as he turned on his heel. "Should have known that lecherous moron would try and get her in the same bed as him within a week of coming back... of all the low, scummy things..."  
  
He grumbled to himself as she stomped out of the room, forgetting to close the door behind him - perfect for a nice cold drought to enter and anyone who was passing, a nice view inside at the couple.  
  
It only took a few moments, however, for the cold drought to reach Miroku first, who was on the side closest the doorway. He frowned and sighed as he started to wake, wondering why it had suddenly gotten so much colder. There was something beside him that was much more invitingly warm though... and he blinked open his eyes at once to see the back of Sango's head a foot before his own nose.  
  
For a moment he didn't dare breathe or move, in case he might scare her away. But that was a stupid notion... they'd had a baby between them, of course she wouldn't run away... besides, she was asleep.  
  
But she wouldn't be asleep for much longer if that drought got to her. So Miroku, being the unselfish and generous guy he was, quietly shuffled closer and protectively wrapped an arm around her middle, pulling her back against his chest. Sango didn't stir much... only mumbled in her sleep and accepted the new position without too much trouble. He was glad... he didn't want her to beat him over the head with a spatula like the first time he'd tried this in her sleep.  
  
He had every perfect opportunity to cop a feel right then... and it was perfectly legal since she was the mother of his child and all. But the need didn't overtake him, and all he did was lean in slightly to smell her hair, before smiling and settling back down to close his eyes.  
  
Though, despite Miroku's attempts to keep her from feeling the chill of the door, it still reached her and she murmured slightly as she began to wake up as well. Miroku carried on pretending he was asleep, he didn't want to spoil the mood just yet.  
  
Something was wrapped around her middle... and at first she thought it could have been a snake (because of the dream she'd been having) and sharply glanced down as she became aware enough to register where she was. Instead of a snake, she realised a much warmer - but no less dangerous - arm belonging to Miroku was holding her close to another warm body behind her. And judging by the steady warm puff of air at the back of her neck... he was still asleep.  
  
"Oh... bloody... hell..." she whispered to herself and wondered how the hell she was supposed to get out of the bed. What on earth had possessed her to sleep on there with him anyway? Oh yeah... because she was cold and the floor was too hard. "You git-faced fool..." she scolded... to herself or Miroku she wasn't sure.  
  
Miroku's response to that comment was to groan slightly in his 'sleep' and move his hand further up her body so it then lightly rested against the curve of her chest.  
  
Sango's breathing tangled in her lungs and she tried to force herself to keep very still. Instinct told her to press back, away from the hand, but if she did that she'd press into Miroku and wake him up. She didn't want to face him just yet in a position like this.  
  
"I should have known you were still a lech after all this time..." She hissed to him, even though she knew he probably couldn't hear... but she couldn't see his smile either.  
  
She held her breath again as she inched her hand slowly towards her chest, trying her hardest not to move anything else on the bed, including herself. She touched his touched his hand once... pulled back in cowardice... before reaching for his hand again to try and gently pull it away from her chest, by his little finger.  
  
Miroku was having none of it. He sighed and rolled over 'spontaneously' onto his back, dragging Sango with him so she now lay on top of him. Sango stared at the ceiling in mortified shock as now both his hands were now firmly closed over her breasts.  
  
She was going to give him the beating of his life when he came to his senses afterwards.  
  
"Hey Sango?!" Kagome's voice sailed through the door, followed by the unusually chipper looking girl herself. Both Miroku's and Sango's heads shot up at her arrival. "Have you seen Inu... oh! God! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to see that! I'll be going now!"  
  
Kagome flushed bright red and scampered away from the doorway - only to be followed by a short surprised cry. "No - Lady Inu! Don't go in there! Sango and Miroku are BUSY!"  
  
Sango threw herself out of Miroku's hold and ran to slam the door shut so no one else could interrupt. When that was done she turned slowly and fixed a smouldering glare on Miroku who seemed completely unaffected by the intensity of her glare. He simply smiled at her and moved his 'busy' hands to clasp behind his head.  
  
"You were awake!" Sango cried accusingly. "That's called harassment!"  
  
"It's called breaking the ice." Miroku sat up with his hands up like he was surrendering. "I was only trying to help."  
  
"You... you..." Sango was so mad that she couldn't find the words to express how angry she was. So instead she looked around searching for a hard blunt object to express it better with. But that activity was short lived when a small cry sounded from the cot in the corner, before turning into a full-fledged baby howl.  
  
Sango's anger vanished in an instant as she ran to see what the matter was. Miroku quickly followed her, unable to get enough of his new son. Thankfully Sango seemed to have already forgotten that she was angry at him... she even let him hold Fushi in a desperate last ditch attempt to get him to stop crying.  
  
It worked at least.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome smiled happily to herself as she mooched down the corridor, heading for the main entrance. She was especially happy that morning for several reasons.  
  
Sango was back with Miroku - and back reminiscing in old times apparently. Naraku had set her free from his ownership over her and Inuyasha wasn't mad at her anymore. Well... not much. He was still a bit sulky but that was to be expected. He seemed to be making more of an effort to be nice to her now though.  
  
That morning Kagome planned on going to see Kouga down in the forest. She'd heard some news from one of the palace maids that he'd been badly injured as well in the battle. Kagome may not have loved him anymore... but she still cared about him in a friendly sort of way. So she wanted to go see him and offer any help and comfort she could.  
  
But good days always at some point turned into the worst days of your life. Several times Kagome had started a day, just like this, determined to be nice to everyone and help people and general improve the world around her, just a little bit. It was usually on those days that the world turned around and laughed at her and threw something nasty in her path that would just ruin all she had going.  
  
It was the elastic band theory. Simply put, it meant the good things would build up on top of one another and the band would stretch and stretch. And when the world decided she'd had too much nice stuff - SNAP - the band would come flying back to hit her in the face. That was how bad days were made.  
  
Today was a bad day after all.  
  
Kagome headed towards the palace gates, intending to head straight through it. But just a few feet from passing through, the guards stepped up and held up a hand. "You're to stay in the palace, Lady Kagome."  
  
"Uh... why?" Kagome frowned at him, slightly dismayed.  
  
"Who knows what kind of spies and scoundrels are sneaking around there at a time like this." The guard said gravely. "Best for you to stay inside, where you're safe."  
  
Kagome sighed heavily before nodding. "Fine..." she turned and headed back, but didn't go back inside the palace. Instead she headed around the side of the building, aiming for that hole in the wall that Inuyasha had made.  
  
Kagome was never one for obeying the rules.  
  
But as soon as she was out of sight and around the corner of the building, she found her way blocked by a fluffy white figure... She stopped dead and felt a cold seeping dread fill her as she raised her eyes to look up into Naraku's face... or of what she could see of it. He still wore that baboon mask, and all she saw was his lower jaw.  
  
"What do you want?" she asked tightly, wishing he would just go away and leave her in peace.  
  
"Inuyasha's not dead, Kagome Baby." Naraku said simply. He didn't sound so amused by her anymore. More like pissed. "Why isn't he dead, Baby?"  
  
"He... his brother..." she didn't need to say it out loud... Naraku could still read her thoughts when she though loud enough.  
  
"Revived him with a magic sword." Naraku snorted without humour. "How cheap."  
  
Kagome took a small step back.  
  
Naraku grabbed her chin to keep her from running... the surprise of the cold contact on her skin made her jolt back even further. How the hell had he managed to touch her? He was just an image... just a spirit... he wasn't solid!  
  
"Oh didn't you know?" Naraku sneered at her. "When I get VERY angry I can materialise myself into this plane of existence... if I ever need to... handle... something myself."  
  
Kagome swallowed hard. She suddenly didn't feel so sure around Naraku anymore.  
  
"You broke your side of the bargain, Baby. He still lives. You soul is still mine." He said evenly, the malice barely concealed in his voice.  
  
Kagome felt like she'd been punched and swayed slightly, fighting to keep the tears at bay. She didn't want to show him how weak she was... but the tears still slid down her cheeks, no matter how firm her face stood.  
  
It was definitely one of those bad days.  
  
Naraku smirked as he raised his hands and made a catapult gesture before her face, pretending to release the elastic string. "Snap..." he whispered before disappearing.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Inuyasha fanned his face lightly a few bunched up papers that he'd been given by the advisors to read through. It was all something about farms and villages... population counts and that sort of thing... A very useful statistics record for a king.  
  
Inuyasha didn't understand squat of it and simply carried on using the papers as a fan as he paced in his room beside the window. He stopped and touched a hand to his neck. He was still feeling pretty warm... and it definitely wasn't the room - it was him. He absently tugged at the neck of his shirt, trying to cool down further.  
  
It was no use... he was going to have to get out of the room. Besides, he should probably get out of there before Urami arrived back to tend his wounds again.  
  
Throwing the important documents over his shoulder, he marched to the window and pushed it open with his stronger arm, slipping out with quick and efficient ease despite his current illness. Outside it was still naturally humid and warm... but it was better than being cooped up inside.  
  
For a while he just closed his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to settle his uneasiness. Being King he had lots of new worries weighing down on him... troubles with worker strikes in some of the towns... some peasants that couldn't be bothered to work and so let themselves starve - something HE had to fix. His brother invading was another risk... everyone now knew his weakness was the new moon... he was screwed in one months time when it came around again. Some lucky bastard would come along and claim the throne by killing the weak little human king.  
  
Inuyasha growled and slapped his hand against the rail.  
  
Too many worries...  
  
And still... through all that jumbled mess in his head, most of his time was caught up thinking about Kagome now. He sighed and relaxed... not noticing how just thinking about her made him calmer. Kagome was what kept him going through the day now... everything else was just crap... but Kagome made it all worth it. Conversations with her were like breaks in a hard days work... just being around her was like being in the presence of an enormous energy and spirit. How anyone like Naraku had managed to steal it off her was hard to believe...  
  
And she was in love with him.  
  
Just thinking about it made every other thought in his head cease as he stared out over the palace grounds... before smiling to himself and leaning on the rail. If Kagome was in love with him then she would undoubtedly stay with him... she'd said she would stay with him anyway. That meant he'd always have her amazing spirit nearby to give him the strength to carry on.  
  
At the battle he'd lost her strength because he'd pushed her away... he realised that...Well... he'd learned from that mistake and he wasn't about to do it again.  
  
An odd sound reached his ears and her perked out of his thoughts to try and determine what it was. Leaning over the rail and looking down below he could see Kagome wondering... or more like staggering through the gardens. She wasn't really looking where she was going since her face was buried in her hands.  
  
Surprise rocked Inuyasha and for a horrible moment he thought he'd been the one to cause her to cry. But what had he done? It hadn't been about that whole trying to kill her thing had it? Because he hadn't meant it... he'd only tried to scare her away...  
  
Without really thinking he swung over the balcony and dropped to the ground below, landing in Kagome's path. On hind sight that probably hadn't been a good idea, because Kagome seemed very jumpy right then.  
  
A sudden figure appeared before her and alarm flashed through her as she gave a sharp cry and threw herself against the wall. It was only a few seconds before she realised it was only Inuyasha, but her heart still thundered in her chest. For a horrible moment there she'd thought it was Naraku again...  
  
"Why are you crying?" Inuyasha asked bluntly. "Did I do something? Was it me?"  
  
"Am I crying?" Kagome said, contriving to look bewildered at his statement. "I was just washing my face... that's all..."  
  
Inuyasha frowned at her. "But your eyes are all red..."  
  
"Well..." Kagome huffed indignantly. "So are yours when you go all fully bloody on us."  
  
Inuyasha rolled her eyes. He was not going to be fooled by her aversion tactics. "What's the matter with you? Why are you upset?" he paused before he went on. "It isn't to do with me is it?"  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to lie... to tell him something silly about seeing a hawk kill a mouse or something... before she quickly closed it again. Why did she need to lie to him? He knew the truth now. Lying would only make things worse... but she had to wonder if she could force herself to get the words out.  
  
"It's... it's sort of about you..." Kagome stumbled over finding the right words. "He... I mean... you - being alive and all... um... Naraku... he's reinforced our deal... I'm not as free as I thought..."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her, a familiar feeling of anger and betrayal sweeping through him, directed at both Kagome and Naraku. But he pushed it aside. "He still has you soul, huh?"  
  
Kagome nodded, dissolving into more tears. "I'm... I'm never going to be free..."  
  
"You might." Inuyasha was starting to get a bit hot under the collar again. He doubted it was the last of that fever... he was just at a loss of what to do.  
  
"I won't..." Kagome smiled at him, like she knew he was just being optimistic for pity's sake. "I'll only be free if I get the jewel..."  
  
Kagome was sending him through a guilt trip, and she didn't even know it. Inuyasha looked away, clearly angry at himself now. He'd thrown that blasted jewel into the lake... there was no way to retrieve it. The lake was too deep and the water too murky to see through...  
  
"Kagome..." he sighed. "I'm sorry... I did bring the jewel back with me..."  
  
Kagome blinked at him in surprise. The hope shining in her eyes right then made him feel like a pig for what he was about to say next.  
  
"But I threw it in the lake when I heard your conversation with Naraku." He said slowly. "Sorry... I guess."  
  
Kagome deflated slightly, looking upset again, but valiantly managing to hide it. "It's ok... no point crying over spilt milk."  
  
She was taking it better than Inuyasha would have taken news like that. he saw her duck her head down as she began to cry again. He wanted to punch himself for causing her so much pain... if he'd just died and stayed dead she wouldn't be in this mess. God... why did he have to be so selfish?!  
  
So instead of hitting his head against the brick wall (not a good thing since his skull was still recovering from being cracked) he did the next best thing. He awkwardly stepped forward and pulled her into a formal sort of hug, his expression strange since he wasn't sure if this would have the desired effect... to make her stop crying.  
  
Well it worked for a few moments as Kagome went rigid with shock. But as soon as she got over her shock she took advantage of him... throwing her arms around his chest and burying her face into his chest, crying, for the first time in a long time, with all her heart.  
  
Inuyasha winced at the pain that pinched his ribs, but he could endure that. It hurt more to actually hear Kagome cry harder than ever. He relaxed his arms around her shoulders and held onto her tightly as well, grimacing when she shuddered even harder.  
  
It was nice for Kagome... for the first time she'd spilled her troubles and fears to someone... and now she had a strong shoulder (or chest) to cry on. It made her feel better... it made her feel safe, but that still didn't take away the problem at hand. Her soul was still controlled by Naraku... and her body controlled by Sesshomaru's poison.  
  
Maybe she'd be ok if Inuyasha stood by her like this all the way.  
  
But then she remembered he was still injured and drew back quickly. "Oh sorry - are you hurt - I didn't mean to squeeze that hard!"  
  
"It's ok." He shrugged, not feeling much pain anyway. "I'm all better now. I don't even need Urami to dress my wounds anymore."  
  
Kagome gave him a scowl as she reached up to his collar and tugged his shirt down to his shoulder. He glanced down at the shoulder she'd exposed and looked thoughtfully at the puss oozing wound. "Except maybe for that..."  
  
"Why did that get infected while your head healed?" Kagome asked, dropping her hand from his shirt so he could pull it back up.  
  
"Sesshomaru's poison I guess." He shrugged lightly. "It'll heal in it's own time."  
  
Kagome sighed... wow... now they had even more in common with Sesshomaru having poisoned them both.  
  
"So where were you heading off to?" Inuyasha swiftly changed topics.  
  
Kagome decided not to tell him about her plans to see Kouga. "The lake... it's a nice day... I wanted to look out over the water and relax for once." Yeah... relax knowing she was looking over the place where her key to freedom lay unreachable forever...  
  
"I'll go with ya." Inuyasha said suddenly.  
  
"Really?" Kagome raised an eyebrow at him. "Thanks."  
  
"Not just for you of course." Inuyasha said quickly and pointed up the balcony above them as a voice sailed out of his room.  
  
"Inuyasha? Inuyasha where are you?" The voice belonged undoubtedly to Urami.  
  
"Quick!" Inuyasha grabbed her hand and dragged Kagome off towards the previous hole he'd made in the palace wall. Kagome flushed slightly as she followed obediently, secretly revelling in the large hard hand that held her much smaller one.  
  
Actually... he best let go before she was tempted to squeeze him and give herself away.  
  
But Inuyasha surprised her as he flashed her a boyish smile and squeezed her hand gently as they cleared the hole and started for the tree. Kagome had trouble keeping up as her knees suddenly grew weak... and she couldn't give a damn about her troubles anymore as long as Inuyasha could smile like that at her.  
  
He didn't let go of her hand until they reached the tree. He heard Kagome laugh behind him and glanced back at her in time to see her flop down beside the tree trunk. "She'll find us - you know she will." She still smiled anyway.  
  
Inuyasha was at times, very oblivious to many things... but even now he could see that she looked at him in a special way that nobody else did. It must have been love that made her eyes shine... or just the remainders of the tears.  
  
For a moment his own smile faltered slightly as a strange swelling feeling crowded his chest, making him slightly dizzy for a moment. He suppressed it... pushed it away into a corner to ignore and went back to enjoying this rare opportunity to be with Kagome alone... to enjoy her company... and bask in her energy.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Lady Inu smiled smugly to herself and tapped her fingers lightly against each other as she gazed out of the window of the throne room to look down on the couple under the tree. They'd bee holding hands... they'd been embracing... it was possible that when the Queen hadn't been there to see, maybe they'd kissed too?  
  
And better yet, Kagome had reported that morning that Miroku and Sango were on their way to making up all that lost time between them. She'd dropped by later to find that Sango was actually letting him feed the baby... and they both seemed at ease in each other's company. If Fushi wasn't around then who knew how difficult it would be to get those two back together...  
  
Well... all her plans were setting off rather nicely. In no time at all Lady Inu would be blessed with a biological grandchild and perhaps with another child from Sango - Lady Inu was automatically the god mother in any case.  
  
"Excellent..." The Queen continued to tap her fingers together as her smile widened.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next Chapter - 'Fool Belief' Ooh... sounds ominous to me (I should know ^_^) 


	22. Fool Belief

AN: Well, here's an extra, extra long chapter for all those who complain about the chapters being too short. So expect a few typos (nearly wrote tupos then ¬_¬)  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Fool Belief  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Urami quickly scaled the palace wall in one fell leap and landed soundlessly on the other side, bracing herself for a moment and keeping still, just to make sure no one had heard or seen her.  
  
Nothing moved and no odd sounds reached her... she was alone. She straightened slowly, still wary of her surroundings and began to pace as she waited.  
  
She was kept waiting at least half an hour before her informant eventually arrived. He was dressed in his servant clothes still, but the paint on his cheeks that usually covered his stripes was a little smeared, revealing a little of the dark bands beneath.  
  
It was the same guy who'd first approached Kagome in the kitchens.  
  
"Took your time." Urami said snippily. "You know I don't like waiting outdoors. The humidity is awful for my hair..."  
  
"Sesshomaru is wondering why you haven't dropped by the Northern palace to report." He stated bluntly as he arrived.  
  
Urami rolled her eyes. "The Queen's been keeping me under her thumb, making me work like a dog looking after the Prince. He was really beat up after that battle you know?"  
  
"I know." He smirked nastily.  
  
Urami didn't smile back. "So what does Lord Sesshomaru want me to do now."  
  
"The human bitch, Kagome, she's been feeding us a pack of lies about Lord Inuyasha." The spy looked angry. "She told me that his time of month was the full moon... when in actual fact it was the new moon..."  
  
"Maybe she got confused. Happens to me all the time."  
  
The spy clenched his fists. "If his lordship had attacked on the full moon then Inuyasha's cycle would have been at it's strongest - I hear rumours that at the strongest time of the month he turns into some kind of... deranged animal. Lord Sesshomaru wouldn't like to fight Inuyasha with those kind of odds."  
  
"Why, because he'd lose to Inuyasha?" Urami blinked at him.  
  
"No! He'd never lose!" the spy snapped indignantly. "He just dislikes tasteless battles."  
  
"So anyway, what do you want me to do with Kagome?" Urami came back to the main subject. "Kill her? Poison her again? Push her into the lakes and blame it on Sango?"  
  
"No... leave her for now... Sesshomaru's poison will be her punishment for her failure. She'll die anyway." The spy lifted his chin. "But you have new orders now. Lord Sesshomaru wants you to gain favour with Inuyasha over Kagome. By any means necessary."  
  
Urami looked worried. "Um... I forgot how you do that again..."  
  
The man rolled his eyes. "Jesus fucking Christ... don't you remember your training brat? You have to work your way into his heart - but you have to do it the right way - seduction isn't always a guaranteed success. Sometimes it's friendship, sometimes it's food... sometimes it's just general kindness. What do you think touches Inuyasha the most?"  
  
"Kiroi the dog - he's always touching Inuyasha-"  
  
"Not literally!" he barked at her. "I meant his heart! What touches his heart?!"  
  
Urami looked blank before shrugging. "Kagome I guess..."  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"Flowers... praise... men telling him how beautiful and voluptuous he is..." Urami darted her eyes back to the spy's face. "But maybe those are the things that touches me."  
  
"Oh forget it..." the spy rolled his eyes yet again and folded his arms. "Do whatever you can to work your way ahead of Kagome. Break them up - befriend him - make him enjoy your company more than he enjoys hers."  
  
Urami brightened as she caught on. "Got it."  
  
"Finally..." the spy turned and started back towards the gates. "I'll be in the kitchens if you need me."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Bye Sango - see you at supper!" Miroku waved cheerfully to the girl as they parted ways, heading back to their own separate rooms. He would have happily stayed in hers... but Sango wasn't completely comfortable being around him just yet. He just needed to give her more time.  
  
Miroku had never felt happier though. He couldn't believe he had a son... and he could already see what a lady-killer the boy would be one day. Of course... there was no way he would beat Miroku's record.  
  
Suddenly a hand shot out of a doorway he was passing and Miroku was jerked by his shirt out of the corridor, to be slammed up against the wall inside one of the rooms. It took him a few winded moments to realise Inuyasha was the one behind it.  
  
"Oh... hi there... Inuyasha..." Miroku wondered what on earth he'd done to piss the guy off.  
  
"You and I need to have a little chat, Miroku." Inuyasha hissed, eyes narrowed and glinting with menace. "About Sango."  
  
Ah... the protective older brother routine. As if Miroku had never seen this before. "I understand your concern for Sango, Inuyasha, but it's quite unnecessary." He attempted to push Inuyasha's hands away.  
  
In response, Inuyasha only tightened his grip and pushed him back harder against the wall. "I swear - if you hurt one hair on her head - or hurt her in ANY other way I'll make it so you can never have children again."  
  
Miroku winced, but carried on coolly, not really intimidated. "I know you would, which is why I'm not going to hurt her."  
  
"Why should I believe you?!" Inuyasha was fighting the urge to punch him for the past pain he'd caused Sango. "You left her before - you'll do it again!"  
  
"No I won't - I swear!" Miroku smiled at him. "The only reason I didn't return was because I didn't know how to get across the water - if I ever leave again I know for certain how to get back."  
  
Inuyasha glared at him, having no other warnings or threats to make. "Scum bag... I'll never forget what you did..." he stepped back and started to leave before turning back as he reached the door. "Oh - by the way - have you seen Kagome anywhere?"  
  
Such a sudden change in tone of voice threw Miroku for a loop there... but he quickly recovered. "No... why?"  
  
"Just wondered." Inuyasha shrugged and walked out. Miroku toddled after him.  
  
"You know... Kagome said something very interesting to me when I first met her and were trading life stories." Miroku walked with his hands clasped behind his back and a faint smile on his lips. "She said - and I quote - 'So... you break the hearts of people you love too?' in referral to you of course. Hm... I wonder what that could mean."  
  
Inuyasha's fists clenched unseen by his sides. He didn't like how Miroku knew about Kagome's feeling before Inuyasha. "Shut up monkey boy."  
  
"I wonder... you seem to be pretty close to Kagome and seeing as she's in love with you..." Miroku chose to ignore Inuyasha's growl. "Do the feelings happen to be reciprocated?"  
  
"Shut your face right now!" Inuyasha whirled and jabbed a finger in his face. "This is none of your business!"  
  
That had answered his question well enough. Miroku smiled placidly as Inuyasha glared at him... he knew Inuyasha well from past relations with the Hanyou... and while they'd never gotten to be amazingly close, Miroku still probably knew Inuyasha better than he knew himself. Aversion of answering a question meant he was embarrassed about giving any answer at all...  
  
Inuyasha balled his fists again and turned to stomp away.  
  
"Must be - Puppy lo~ve!" Miroku Sango after him, just loud enough for Inuyasha to catch.  
  
The Hanyou just ignored him and carried on with his search to find Kagome.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh look..." Kagome cried out in an alarmed way as she neared the tree. Inuyasha skewed a glance across the grass at her, wondering what on earth the matter was now.  
  
"What?" he asked sharply as she ran towards the bank a short distance away from where he stood with his arms folded.  
  
"It's a dead fish..." Kagome's voice was full of empathy... Inuyasha was amazed at her ability to care so much for such an insignificant little fish.  
  
"Fish die, Kagome... it happens." He answered shortly.  
  
Kagome ignored his terse behaviour and bent down to look at it more closely. "It's red... is it supposed to be red?"  
  
Inuyasha came over and took a look. "Yes." Actually, it could have been blue and he wouldn't have known if that was normal or not.  
  
"How do you suppose it died?" Kagome asked quietly.  
  
Inuyasha tentatively gave it a little nudge with his foot, resulting in water flooding out of the fishes mouth. "Maybe it drowned?"  
  
"Would you be serious?!" She nudged him in the side, making him stumbled slightly.  
  
"Hey - I am being serious!" he protested and pointed over the lake. "Look - loads more fish are dead as well."  
  
Kagome frowned as she glanced up. "I wonder... maybe they're dead because of something someone put in the water." She looked pointedly at Inuyasha at this point.  
  
"Hey, all I know is that this means we're having fish tonight for supper." He shrugged. "And don't beat yourself up - at least YOU didn't kill the food this time."  
  
Kagome was about to say something to that when she spotted Urami heading their way. She mentally groaned, and saw Inuyasha sigh deeply. Even though he was facing away from Urami, he seemed to know what was coming.  
  
"Hello Lord Inuyasha, Lady Kagome." Urami called cheerfully in greeting. Kagome forced herself to smile back, even though it was a strain. "I'm sorry Lady Kagome, but I'll need to borrow his majesty for a while. His shoulder needs treating again."  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome exchanged slightly dismayed glances at having to be split up again, before Inuyasha shrugged. "Ok, see ya at supper Kagome."  
  
"Bye..." Kagome watched him walk off with Urami before slumping down against the tree.  
  
It seemed Urami's timing was getting better and better...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome watched Miroku and Sango opposite across the table from her with mild amusement. They'd been sat next to each other as usual and were getting along with some mild bickering. During which every now and then Miroku would reach out and put his hand on Sango's knee or thigh - which would always be swotted away. But Kagome was sure that Sango wasn't pushing him away angrily - just in a 'not now I'm busy' kind of way.  
  
At least they were talking.  
  
Lady Inu sighed and rested her chin in the palm of her hand in her seat next to Kagome. "Where's Inuyasha? We can't eat until he arrives... I wonder what could be taking him so long...?"  
  
"Urami..." Kagome hazarded a guess, in an even tone of voice. Lady Inu caught the hint of annoyance Kagome must have been feeling and smiled secretly to herself. Yes... grandchildren in no time...  
  
At last Inuyasha entered and everyone rose to their feet in respectful greeting. Urami trailed in meekly after him and began helping the other maids and servants to serve up the food and drink.  
  
"Took your time." Kagome commented quietly as he took his seat next to her on the bench and they all sat down.  
  
Inuyasha gave her an odd look. "What bug crawled up your a-"  
  
"Inuyasha!" his mother hissed at once across Kagome.  
  
"-arm!" Inuyasha finished indignantly. "Thank you very much."  
  
They all lapsed into quiet as the food was served before them. Eventually Kagome turned to Inuyasha as he began to eat. "So how's the shoulder?"  
  
"Better." He shrugged. "Urami does a good job."  
  
Kagome made a small strangled noise in her throat. It wasn't enough that he spent most of his time with Urami, but he also brought her up in conversation too. Maybe she was grasping at straws there... but Urami was seriously beginning to bug her.  
  
Kagome quickly stuffed food into her mouth before she let her irritation take over her. Sango rolled her eyes at her... Kagome was so obvious... and so inelegant with that éclair.  
  
"Uh... Kagome... you have some cream on your cheek." Inuyasha glanced at her.  
  
"Oh?" she swiped at her cheek. "Gone?"  
  
"No." he pointed to her other cheek.  
  
She swiped again. "Gone now?"  
  
He sighed as she'd missed again. "No - here." He reached over and gently brushed the cream from her cheek onto his finger. Then quite casually licked it off his finger and carried on eating. Kagome was beginning to blush again and ducked her head to eat whilst hiding her red face.  
  
Miroku and Sango were all but trembling as they tried to suppress their giggles, and kept nudging each other discreetly so Inuyasha and Kagome wouldn't notice their antics. Lady Inu on the other hand managed to keep a calm little smile. But in her head she was already making plans for any of Kagome's future daughters to marry Fushi.  
  
"Just wait for them to start feeding each other." Miroku whispered to Sango who grinned back.  
  
"Pass the mushrooms, Kagome." Inuyasha held his hand out to receive them.  
  
"What's the magic word?" she challenged, grabbing the plate but not passing it over.  
  
"Now?" He guessed.  
  
Kagome rolled her eyes and passed them to him anyway. They both smiled when their hands nonchalantly brushed against each others fingers. Sango and Miroku went into a flurry of nudging.  
  
Just then Lady Inu noticed Urami was leaving. "Oh Urami - please stay and have some supper! You've been working so hard lately with your chores and Inuyasha's health - please - take a seat."  
  
"Don't mind if I do!" Urami smiled happily and sandwiched herself between Kagome and Inuyasha, forcing them both to squeeze up against the next person along. Lady Inu faltered slightly as Kagome was pushed into her.  
  
"... but not that seat..." Lady Inu finished to herself.  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes and went on with eating. Maybe he'd cut supper short today, he wasn't really very hungry...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"...And you remember that trick that I'd been teaching Kiroi?" Inuyasha couldn't help but grin as he relayed the story to Kagome. "The one where I say 'fetch' and he runs off and tries to 'fetch' Kirara?"  
  
"Yeah..." Kagome was smiling as well.  
  
"Well... of course when Miroku went into the baths and I told Kiroi to 'fetch' he went and fetched Miroku's clothes who'd been petting Kirara earlier that day." Inuyasha chuckled at the memory. "Oh it was a laugh to see him walking through the corridors in his birthday suit. Those were the good old days when Sango used to blush when she saw him like that."  
  
Kagome giggled at the image.  
  
"And later he told me that if I were ever to try and pull that trick again... I should warn him so he could go to the gym first." Inuyasha snickered.  
  
Kagome's laughter doubled before she managed to calm herself. "I can't believe him... and I can't believe Sango did THAT to the poor rabbit..."  
  
"Those were the carefree days..." Inuyasha's laughter died down as well. "When dad was still alive and Sesshomaru was took chicken and weak to bother trying to take over..."  
  
"He's still chicken and weak in my book." Kagome offered helpfully, pulling a pillow over from Inuyasha's head board to clutch over her lap.  
  
"Well I don't know about weak... he's certainly chicken legged." Inuyasha smirked.  
  
Kagome laughed at that. "That's what happens when you grow too tall. You get lanky."  
  
It occurred to Kagome that she should probably tell Inuyasha about Sesshomaru and the poison, but once again decided against it. After the heavy blow to his pride and feelings with Naraku... she'd just be adding fuel to the fire to make him mad at her again. She didn't want to spoil the mood anyway.  
  
"Do you think I'm lanky?" Inuyasha asked out of the blue.  
  
"Are you kidding?" she laughed at him. "You're not lanky... you're just... nice and lean."  
  
"But I'm tall."  
  
"But you're not as tall as Sesshomaru."  
  
"I'm not exactly a shrimp either."  
  
"I don't know about that." Kagome closed one eye and leaned back, pretending to measure him up. He grinned and poked her side, making her drop the act and squirm.  
  
Revelation hit him like a ton of bricks. "You're ticklish!"  
  
"I - no!" Kagome was doomed no matter what she'd said. She realised this and tried to make a run for it, but Inuyasha grabbed her wrist and yanked her back to the bed, going for her sides again.  
  
"No!" Kagome burst out into loud laughter as his fingers deftly caught her most sensitive spots. "No - aha - no! Stop! Th-that doesn't tickle at all-" she squirmed as his hands continued to dance up her sides and she was having trouble breathing from laughing so hard.  
  
In retaliation she managed to hook her feet behind his legs and tickled her toes against the backs of his knees. He twisted away with a laugh and carried on tickling her, tossing the pillow aside that blocked his access.  
  
"No - Inuyasha - my stomach hurts!" if she didn't stop laughing she'd do herself a hernia. She reached out again and poked her fingers against his sides. Apparently he was even more sensitive than she was and tried to pull away before she dominated him with the tickles.  
  
And she probably would have won the battle if Urami hadn't burst in with a big smile. "Oh hello you two - I'm sorry Kagome, but Lord Inuyasha needs fresh bandages now. You'll have to excuse us."  
  
The laughter died on their lips and Kagome stood up, massaging her cheeks to try and loosen up the muscles that had been strained from smiling and laughing too hard.  
  
Inuyasha was quickly rearranging his clothing, in a dignified sort of way as though he hadn't been cackling like a lunatic just then.  
  
Urami shut the door as Kagome stepped out and went to fetch the bandages. Kagome stood outside in the corridor and sighed to herself, before shrugging and walking away to go to bed.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango leaned against the counter as she picked at some of the leftovers from supper in the kitchen. A lot of the staff had gone to bed by now, but she was still hungry considering Inuyasha had left the table early, and forced everyone else to skip their meal as well.  
  
She carelessly cut one of the fish in half and began eating as fast as she could before Miroku came looking for her. She glanced behind her to check the door just as her fingers touched something unusually hard. She frowned as she glanced back down at the fish. Probing with her fingers some more she reached inside the fish and pulled out something rather surprising...  
  
A small pink called ball of glass or stone...  
  
"Weird..." She stared at it a moment before moving over to the washing up barrel to clean the bead a little. She held it up after splashing it with water to examine it.  
  
It was a little plain... but it was pretty. She pocketed it anyway  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
The next day Inuyasha and Kagome sat under the tree in complete silence. Mostly because they were waiting for Urami to come along and drag Inuyasha off somewhere.  
  
"You seem tense." Kagome said eventually, glancing over at him after a full five minutes had passed without interruption. "Is something wrong?"  
  
Plenty of things were wrong. He was under a lot of pressure from the royal advisers for... special reasons... and he didn't get much time to see Kagome anymore. All because of Urami. "Just people nagging their asses off at me..."  
  
"Nagging about what?" Kagome asked, shuffling closer with genuine interest. "Go on."  
  
Inuyasha was almost too embarrassed to tell her. He rolled his eyes and turned away. "They're nagging me to find a wife. Produce an heir... as is my mother."  
  
Kagome stared at him for a moment before a coy smile graced her lips. "Oh I see... looks like you won't get to be a bachelor all your life like you planned, eh?"  
  
Inuyasha turned a scowl on her. "Actually I already had someone in mind."  
  
Kagome's stomach dropped. Who on earth did he like enough to want to marry. Surely not... Urami... that just made her shudder in disgust. But she didn't know any other young single girls in the palace... or at least girls that Inuyasha had shown any interest in...  
  
Although there was one girl. Kagome's eyes narrowed slightly. "So who's Hitako Kireini?"  
  
Inuyasha jumped visibly, giving him away before he quickly tried to cover. "Who?"  
  
Kagome folded her arms, her face set in a grim line. "You know who I mean. Is she the one you intend to marry?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her. "What?"  
  
"Don't play dumb." Kagome huffed. "Remember when you told me to stay away from the store rooms on the second floor?"  
  
"Oh... ah..." Inuyasha winced. "You went to the store rooms on the second floor didn't you."  
  
"Well. I was just passing actually." Kagome shrugged, trying to act nonchalant and casual. "Then I had this flash and then I saw you and a skinny maid from the kitchens go into one of the store rooms."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her in horror. "Please tell me you didn't look inside."  
  
"Sorry, couldn't help myself." Kagome looked away, blushing slightly. "Now I wish I hadn't."  
  
"How did you know her name?"  
  
"I can lip read... and her name was on your lips quite frequently." Kagome blushed even deeper. "I don't want to go into where her lips were."  
  
"Bloody hell - how long did you stay and watch?" Inuyasha gave her a weird look. "You voyeur!"  
  
"I didn't stay THAT long!" Kagome protested. "And anyway - what about you - you were like ten years old!"  
  
"Fourteen actually!"  
  
"Boy you were short for a fourteen year old..." Kagome commented.  
  
"I had a growth spurt!" Inuyasha snapped angrily. "Now can we talk about something else?!"  
  
"No - I want to know where this girl is? When do you plan to marry her?" Kagome demanded.  
  
There she went again, jumping to conclusions. Inuyasha smirked and looked away. "She's left the island. She married a human lord who I've never heard of."  
  
"Oh..." Kagome blinked ins surprise. "So I guess you won't be marrying her."  
  
"Never planned on marrying her anyway." Inuyasha said shortly.  
  
Kagome thought about what he'd said for a moment. "Then... who's the girl you had in mind to marry? I don't think I know anyone else."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her. She was incredibly thick after all if she was so blind so as not to realise. If Inuyasha ever had to choose his own bride... he'd choose Kagome without a doubt. Maybe he loved her... maybe he didn't... after all he wasn't completely sure what love would be described as. But spending the rest of his life next to Kagome sounded a whole lot better than spending it with either Urami or Kikyo... or even Hitako.  
  
"Well..." Inuyasha smirked at her. "Not so much of a girl... but I have the type in mind."  
  
"What's your type then?" Kagome cocked her head, half relieved that there was no other girl she didn't know about.  
  
"Tall, leggy, buxom and with flowing white hair and..." he glanced at Kagome, seeing she had blue eyes. "Brown eyes."  
  
Kagome self-consciously folded her arms over her chest. Though from that smirk and subtle little glance he'd given her, she knew he was just winding her up. "Really? I know a girl like that. I'm sure you'll both hit it off." She was just messing with him now. And he knew it.  
  
"Really? What's she like?" Inuyasha turned his full attention on her.  
  
"Well." Kagome shuffled closer to his side as though she was about to spill a secret. "She's all of the things you described before - but not so tall, not so leggy, less buxom and has black hair."  
  
Inuyasha grinned at her. "What colour are her eyes?"  
  
Kagome locked gazes with him a moment. "Blue."  
  
The humour of the conversation left Inuyasha a little. She was describing herself. "What's her personality like?"  
  
Kagome smiled slightly and leaned against his side, resting her chin on his shoulder as she spoke. "She's nice I guess... kind I suppose... and very loyal. She'd never hurt you."  
  
Inuyasha frowned slightly and looked away. Kagome pretended not to notice. "She makes mistakes... she's only human. You can't expect her to walk an unstable path without stumbling at all. She tries her best."  
  
Inuyasha looked back at her, seeing how close her face was to his. "She does doesn't she."  
  
Kagome smiled, realising he knew what she was talking about. "I think her good will makes up for her lack of attractiveness."  
  
"She's not ugly... or plain." Inuyasha jumped in.  
  
Kagome smiled. "How would you know? You've never met her." She said coyly.  
  
"We are talking about Sango right?" Inuyasha asked, joking of course.  
  
"Oh you've ruined it now!" Kagome gasped playfully at him.  
  
"No I haven't." he said simply and leaned down to kiss her on the lips too quickly that she wouldn't be able to pull back.  
  
Just when their lips were scant millimetres apart, Urami's voice called out. "Lord Inuyasha! Lady Kagome!"  
  
Kagome slipped sideways with a start and landed half sprawled on the ground. Inuyasha jerked back and thumped the ground angrily, trying to control his violent urges and the light blush that rose in his cheeks. He'd been so close...  
  
"Lady Kagome - Sango needs you in the palace. Fushi won't stop crying." Urami said as she arrived.  
  
"Oh..." Kagome cleared her throat and pressed her hands against her cheeks in an effort to cool them down. She didn't even bother arguing, too flushed and embarrassed to feel angry at the girl for the interruption. "See you later Inuyasha..."  
  
He was so mad he couldn't form any sort of reply as Kagome padded back towards the palace. Urami didn't waste much time to plonk herself down beside the King. "Hi, Lord Inuyasha."  
  
"Beat it Urami."  
  
"But I need to tend your wounds-"  
  
"No you don't!" he snapped. "Just get lost."  
  
Urami gave him a cool look. It was beyond her how any man could refuse her companionship. She knew men who would kill to get a chance with her... how could this one boy simply ignore her beauty like this. He must have been gay...  
  
Or just in love with someone else. Urami didn't get up and leave. Instead she reached into her kimono and pulled out a small vial of what appeared to be... nothing. Just air.  
  
Inuyasha wasn't looking at her since he was busily glaring at the lake away from her. Urami quickly pulled he lid off the vial and took a tentative sniff... yes, it was still working. It had taken her quite a while to obtain Kagome's individual scent. It had involved Urami sneaking into her room and changing the sheets on Kagome's bed one afternoon and using the used sheets to draw the scent out... a scent similar to Lavender.  
  
Of course Lavender wasn't going to cut it alone. She'd had to go to the spy down in the kitchens to get a few extra ingredients... including a few hallucinogenic drugs... similar to opium in a way.  
  
She placed the open vial discreetly between them and waited for the effects to reach Inuyasha... it was already beginning to effect Urami... but not in the same way it would effect Inuyasha.  
  
Inuyasha closed his eyes and shook his head slightly to clear the slightly dizzy feeling that washed over him. He could still smell Kagome lingering nearby and he wondered if Urami was still hanging around. He turned back to the other girl and frowned when he clearly saw Urami was still sitting there.  
  
"Didn't I tell you to beat it?" he griped.  
  
Urami darted a look at the vial on the ground. Wasn't it effecting him yet? "Your highness, please let me tend your wounds?"  
  
It was strange... her voice wasn't grating on his nerves anymore. If anything it sounded slightly more melodious than normal... slightly like Kagome's. He shook his head. "Just go away Urami, I want to be left alone in peace. I have to think."  
  
"About what, Inuyasha?" Urami smiled slightly, seeing that perhaps the drugs were taking effect on him after all, if that slight sway was anything to go by.  
  
"Brides." Inuyasha pulled a face. "Gotta choose a fucking bride..."  
  
"To produce an heir?" Urami asked.  
  
"No, to produce an heir - not air..."  
  
Urami smiled widely and drew closer to need his good shoulder with a strong hand. "What would you like in your bride, Inuyasha?"  
  
A strange feeling of déjà vu passed over him. "Pretty... not too good looking or she'll attract too many other people... kind... thoughtful... loyal... with black hair."  
  
He picked the things he wanted to see in his bride... and all he saw was Kagome. He looked back at Urami, his mind starting to fog over. Kagome's image began to blur over Urami's, until all he saw was Kagome's eyes, Kagome's hair, Kagome's fair skin and full lips...  
  
"Would you marry someone like me?" Urami asked, stroking a hand down the side of his face and along his neck. All Inuyasha heard was Kagome's voice. In his mind, he thought he was talking to Kagome.  
  
"Yeah..." he said slowly, eyes falling half closed as he watched Urami's lips move to form works.  
  
"Would you marry me, Inuyasha?"  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
Urami smiled smugly, a smile that appeared to Inuyasha as a smile of happiness. "Very well..." she leaned forward and pressed her lips firmly against his.  
  
For a moment Inuyasha remained unresponsive until he began to kiss her back, moving his hand to tangle in her hair and pull her forward. Urami, pleased with his reaction, granted his tongue entrance in return.  
  
He shifted to move against her more fully, and knocked over the vial with his knee. Urami was distracted as it smashed on a stone and turned her head away from the kiss, even though Inuyasha continued to kiss along her jaw and neck.  
  
"Kagome..." he breathed.  
  
Urami decided it didn't matter as she turned her head to claim his lips again. The effects would wear off in a minute and he'd open his eyes to realise who he'd been kissing... what would happen after that would depend on Inuyasha. He would either reject her or claim her. Either way, his relationship with Kagome would be broken when Urami told her what was just transpiring.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome slowed as she reached the palace gates and looked around. Something didn't feel quite right... and an eerie sense of foreboding caught her up.  
  
The next moment a blinding flash lit the area and she raised her arms automatically to protect her eyes... before realising the flash was IN her eyes...  
  
It died slowly and when Kagome looked up she saw everything was dark, like it was night... even though it had been morning just a few seconds ago. It was another vision... but what was she supposed to see in this one? She didn't see anyone around...  
  
Actually... Kagome took that thought back as she saw movement by the wall off to her left. A flash of white hair caught in the soft glow of torch light by the gates. It was Urami... what was she doing hanging around at night.  
  
Though she wasn't exactly alone. Kagome thought for a moment that Urami might have been having midnight rendezvous with secret lovers... but actually... they were just talking, if not snapping at each other.  
  
Kagome cautiously made her way towards the pair, even though she knew they couldn't see her, she still felt that her presence would alert them. She walked right up to them and looked from Urami to the second guy... and froze.  
  
He was the man who'd approached her... Sesshomaru's spy... the one she'd told Inuyasha's 'secret' to. Then did this mean...? She glanced between them, trying to catch what they were saying simply by their lip movement. The man talked too fast and even Kagome wasn't good enough to catch what he said. But Urami on the other hand talked slower...  
  
After only a few seconds Kagome knew for sure... Urami was a spy... and she was planning to... touch Kiroi? No... that wasn't it... touch Inuyasha?!  
  
Kagome was overjoyed. Not because Inuyasha was in danger - but because now she knew the truth - Urami was a spy! Now she could reasonably found her dislike of the girl with a valid excuse.  
  
"Yes! I've got you now you cow!" Kagome burst out and turned around looking this way and that. How did she get out of these visions again.  
  
The guards at the palace gate looked on with mild worry as Kagome punched the air and cheered, before turning this way and that, running around like a headless chicken. One guard looked to the other and made a twirly gesture beside his ear and nodding in Kagome's direction. The other guard nodded and pretended he didn't see.  
  
Another flash lit Kagome's vision and the world lit with light and colour again. Kagome grinned and started at once running back towards the tree where Inuyasha would be. She had to tell him the wonderful news!  
  
But as she neared the tree... she saw everything was horribly wrong. Inuyasha wasn't supposed to be on top of Urami and kissing her that way - she was a spy - he wasn't allowed to do that. Kagome drew to a halt, looking on in complete, mortified shock at what he was doing.  
  
"Inuyasha...?" she called softly.  
  
It took him a moment to react before he pulled back and looked down at Urami. "What?"  
  
Urami blinked rapidly, trying to sort her senses out before glancing to the side to look at Kagome. She smiled to herself. This was even better than what she'd hoped. Inuyasha followed her gaze and saw the blurred figure of Kagome standing a few metres away.  
  
Hang on...  
  
He looked back down and saw he was holding Urami... the wrong girl. He looked back up at Kagome and frowned. "Kagome?"  
  
"What... what are you doing?" she asked quietly, even though she saw it she couldn't quite believe it.  
  
"What does it look like we're doing?" Urami smiled politely at Kagome, like the events unfolding was good news.  
  
"Why...?" Was all Kagome could ask Inuyasha, choosing to ignore Urami's disturbing words.  
  
Inuyasha glanced around, trying to get his bearings straight before sitting up. He looked from Kagome to Urami and then back again, the drugs still making his reactions slow and... well... not quite clever. "Huh...?"  
  
Kagome had had it. Her entire body was trembling with anger... with hurt... embarrassment that she'd thought that she was the one he wanted. She snapped.  
  
Her reaction wasn't quite what Inuyasha would have expected...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well, there you go, extra long chapter - nearly twice as long as usual. Next Chapter - 'Transferred Love' 


	23. Transferred Love

AN: Well considering I put a lot of effort into creating Urami's character - vain, apathetic, and slightly dim but slightly nasty... I can't say I hate her as much as you guys... I probably hate her more ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Transferred Love  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A loud rumbling boom rolled through the palace, shaking the foundations again and rattling the ornaments on the tables and mantels. Lady Inu rolled her eyes to where Sango sat on the bed. "I wonder what made him mad this time?"  
  
"Inuyasha really needs to learn how to control his temper..." Sango sighed, continuing to fold Lady Inu's clothes without a break, even when something rolled off the table beside her and smashed on the ground. "Damn... and I just had that pot re-varnished for you..."  
  
However... it wasn't Inuyasha who was the cause of the crashes this time.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Her fists trembled with outrage as she watched Inuyasha slowly fumble his way off of Urami. He looked slightly confused with what was going on, and not with it at all. Urami simply stretched as Inuyasha's weight left her, and rolled onto her stomach to eye Kagome. "Back already? Did you stop Fushi from crying?"  
  
Kagome's humiliation only soared with Urami's casual attitude, like what she'd been doing with Inuyasha was perfectly acceptable and normal. But by then Inuyasha was beginning to regain his senses somewhat, and what he'd just done dawned on him slowly... dread quickly replacing his confusion. He shot Urami a dirty look before glancing at Kagome, anxious to gauge her reaction.  
  
Kagome locked gazes with him at that moment. He saw her anger flash to new heights. She saw a look of incredible guilt pass over him. Something inside her snapped. She was fed up. She'd had enough of these silly games. She wanted out and she was going to GET out.  
  
"Bye." Kagome whirled around with an unusually light tone that belied her expression.  
  
Inuyasha and Urami watched in surprise as she headed back to the palace with even a small bounce in her step. Inuyasha had at least expected her to burst out into tears and run away... or stay and bitch slap either him or Urami... or maybe even both.  
  
But no. She didn't cry and she didn't look too mad from this angle. She looked... if anything... relieved...  
  
"That bitch!" he suddenly burst out and stood up angrily. How dare Kagome act so careless? As though him kissing Urami meant nothing to her?! She was obviously angry - so why did she run away - he wanted her to stay and argue this out.  
  
Urami stood up beside him meekly. "My lord-"  
  
Inuyasha spun on her and grabbed her by the ear. "You! You are forbidden from entering my rooms ever again - you can remain a maid but you're not MY chamber maid anymore! I'd kick you out but I'm sure my mother would employ you again - so just STAY out of my WAY! Got that?!"  
  
"Yes!" Urami gasped as he twisted her ear.  
  
"Good!" he snarled and turned to drag her back to the palace. He caught sight of Kagome arriving at the gates a small distance away... what he saw made him draw to a halt.  
  
In Kagome's path lay... quite a substantial trail of destruction. Two trees that she'd passed had leaned over, away from her... not broken... but just bent another way. The grass that she'd walked on was now churned into mud and rocks protruding from the earth like they'd been pulled upwards into jagged points by a magnet.  
  
And even then the gates shuddered as Kagome stomped through them, and she threw the doors to palace back so violently that they smashed against the wall and caused an echoing rumble to resound. Inuyasha and Urami looked on in shock.  
  
"Shit..." Inuyasha murmured.  
  
"How did she do that? How can she do that?" Urami babbled. "That's impossible - she's just a human-"  
  
"Shut up!" Inuyasha yanked her ear and began to drag her back to the palace, keeping to the side of Kagome's disturbed path. He really couldn't follow this at all.  
  
But in a way, it only proved that Kagome really was just Kikyo's cousin.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh look... he's making spit bubbles." Miroku pointed into the small cot.  
  
"Miroku... even YOU make spit bubbles when you sleep." Sango told him quietly.  
  
"Yeah, but it's cuter on the baby."  
  
Someone stormed past the doorway and both Miroku and Sango looked up at the empty doorway. Sango was quicker, and had recognised the Kagome shaped blur at once. She left Miroku's side by the cot and hurried to the door to poke her head out and look down the corridor at Kagome's retreating blur. "Kagome?! What's the matter? Where're you going?"  
  
Kagome stopped at the sound of Sango's voice, and the other girl saw her head drop slightly and her shoulders slump in momentary defeat... but she suddenly squared herself up and turned around with a determined look. "I'm going to pack."  
  
"Pack?" Sango took a few steps out into the corridor. "Why? Where are you going?"  
  
"Home."  
  
"You have one?"  
  
"Yes!" Kagome nodded defiantly. "I refuse to stick around here and just be humiliated again and again!"  
  
"Oh jeez... what did Inuyasha do this time?" Sango sighed.  
  
"He was kissing Urami!"  
  
"What?!" Sango exploded, gaping at Kagome with shock. "How?! When?!"  
  
"Just now!" Kagome's fists balled again and she glared hotly at the ground between them. "How could I be so foolish...?! How could HE be so foolish?! She's a spy for God's sakes!"  
  
"What?" Sango's surprise was replaced confusion. "Kagome... I don't think you realise how strong an accusation that is-"  
  
"Yes I do - she's a spy - I just found out! And the shifty guy down in the kitchens is a spy too!" Kagome growled. "Go on - ask them and you'll know for certain!"  
  
Miroku had appeared behind Sango. She only had to shoot him one quick meaningful look before he nodded and turned to head off to find some guards to apprehend the suspected spies.  
  
Sango stepped forward to approach Kagome carefully, treating her as a fragile bomb that was threatening to go off at any moment. "Come on Kagome... don't be so hasty as to leave... just wait a while."  
  
"No - I wanna leave right now!" Kagome said firmly, shaking her head and turning to go back to her rooms. "I'll pack and I'll leave and I'll never come back as long as I live!"  
  
Sango caught her wrist. "But you can't - the bridge isn't up yet." Sango told her quickly. "You'd have to wait for the next new moon..."  
  
That was almost a full month away. Kagome quickly realised the flaw in her plan and faltered a little. Some of the irrational impulsiveness left her and she began to feel a little sad... wait... not sad... miserable to the point of depression.  
  
"Sango..." Kagome whimpered slightly as tears began to sting in her eyes and lodge in her throat. Sango pulled her into a tight embrace. "I thought he really liked me..."  
  
Sango gently stroked the younger girl's hair, staring angrily at the wall behind Kagome. What on earth had made Inuyasha act so stupidly...?  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"As it stand right now... if you die, my lord, Sesshomaru will automatically inherit the throne." The first advisor told Inuyasha, slightly annoyed that the King didn't seem to be paying that much attention. "He is you heir in effect."  
  
"Bull." Inuyasha commented from his throne as he tipped his head back and began balancing a stylus brush under his nose.  
  
"My lord..." another advisor continued on after the first gave up with an irritated gasp. The new advisor enunciated each word like it was more important than the last. "We need you to produce an heir! Just one! Girl or boy, it doesn't matter! But as soon as you have a child then the throne inheritance falls from you and your brother's generation to your child's. Sesshomaru will no longer be in the direct line to inherit the throne if you pass away, god have mercy on your soul."  
  
Inuyasha didn't reply, choosing to just ignore this.  
  
"Please tell us you have a suitable bride in mind?" The first advisor pleaded, his hands clasped. He was finding the new ruler a lot more difficult to co-operate with than the last one. "Anyone at all - a peasant or a princess - it matters not which!"  
  
Inuyasha had to refrain from telling them to bite him. He carried on balancing the calligraphy brush instead.  
  
The second advisor looked at the first, looking lost, before turning back to Inuyasha. "Uh... Lady Kagome perhaps?"  
  
"No." Inuyasha replied shortly.  
  
"Then little sister Urami?"  
  
"God no!! She's a fucking spy remember?!" Inuyasha snapped his head towards them so fast that the brush clattered onto the floor and they got a nice eye full of the black bruise which was marring one of his cheeks. They hadn't spotted that before.  
  
"My lord... what happened to your face?" the second advisor asked cautiously.  
  
Inuyasha quickly turned away self-consciously and didn't grace them with a reply. Besides it was his fault anyway. At least now he knew that he shouldn't call Sango names when she refused to let him see Kagome.  
  
Inside, Inuyasha knew that he should be sorry and guilty for what he'd done. After all he'd hurt Kagome and he'd promised himself after Naraku and Kouga had hurt her, that he would beat anyone else who tried it into a bloody pulp. Why wasn't he beating himself into a bloody pulp?  
  
Because he'd done nothing wrong.  
  
Instead of feeling shame and guilt like he'd originally felt yesterday when Kagome had walked in on him and Urami... he felt nothing but anger and... even felt slightly cheated. Kagome had no right to act the way she was acting now. She wouldn't speak to him and she wouldn't forgive him.  
  
Inuyasha felt this was very unfair... considering he'd forgiven Kagome for her dealings with Naraku, why couldn't she forgive him for his dealings with Urami. Besides... it wasn't like he'd known what he was doing. Wasn't locking Urami up in the dungeons good enough for Kagome? How many more apologises could he make?  
  
Well... actually, he hadn't apologised that much. Actually, not at all. But actions spoke louder than words, right? So why couldn't she forgive him yet?  
  
"Uh... your highness?" his advisors glanced worriedly at each other as the King seemed to tune out completely to what they'd been saying. "Our sources say that Sesshomaru may be planning to attack some time soon... what should we do...?"  
  
Inuyasha darted a glance at them, stumped since he hadn't been listening. "Um... jolly good... you do that then."  
  
They stared at him. Inuyasha stared back for a moment before slipping out of the throne and heading towards the doors. "I have to go do something more important, right now - but don't start sending out those wedding invitations!"  
  
"But we finished talking about weddings ten minutes ago!"  
  
Inuyasha ignored them and carried on out the room. He rapidly headed through the palace and out of the main doors to pass through the gates. It had hit him... the one way to get Kagome to talk to him and perhaps forgive him...  
  
He had to get the Shikon no Tama back.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Half an hour later and Inuyasha was still trying to find the bleeding jewel. He'd stripped down to his waist and removed his shoes... and although it was a warm day - the lake wasn't. He had to surface every couple of minutes to take gulps of air to go back down into the murky depths. He literally couldn't see three inches before his nose. Besides, his eyesight wasn't that good to begin with anyway.  
  
And had anyone actually known that there were Youkai fish in that lake? BIG Youkai fish?!  
  
Inuyasha surfaced for the eleventh time, dragging another fish, the size of a shark, on his arm. He paddled over to the edge of the lake and threw the dead beast into a crude pile he'd made of the beasties he kept bumping into. He rested on the bank there for a moment, trying to catch his breath. That last little brawl under the water had been a close one.  
  
A dainty foot stepped into his line of view and he slowly raised his eyes to see Sango standing above him with Fushi squealing away in her arms. Miroku was stood a short distance away inspecting the pile of dead demons he'd made.  
  
"Planning on making dinner tonight then?" Sango raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
Inuyasha eyed her guardedly. "Maybe."  
  
"You've been at this for ages, we've been watching you from the window." Miroku told him. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you dropped something in there and are trying to find it... either that or this is your crazy new past time that they haven't told me about yet."  
  
"It's none of your business." Inuyasha snapped.  
  
Sango's main concern was the wound on Inuyasha's shoulder. It still hadn't healed completely, and she didn't like him swimming around in a lake with an open wound like that. "Are you sure about this?"  
  
He noticed her eyeing up his wound and snorted. "I'm not a wuss like Miroku - I can take the heat."  
  
"I'm not so worried about the heat... I'm more worried about the cold - you might get pneumonia or something." Sango told him, shifting her son in her arms. "What are you looking for anyway."  
  
"Nothing. Just bog off and go back to the palace where you belong." He admonished.  
  
Sango scowled at him. "That's just plain rude."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes, before realising something. If Miroku and Sango were out here... then who was guarding Kagome from Inuyasha? "Where's Kagome?" he asked suddenly, knowing Sango wouldn't leave the girl alone just yet.  
  
Sango suddenly looked nervous. "Um... back in the palace... I think... probably washing her clothes... maybe she's... no - she's with Lady Inu! That's it - yeah! She's with your mother!"  
  
Miroku slapped his head behind her quietly while Inuyasha smiled lightly at the girl. She was a blatant liar. That was evident. "Where is she really?"  
  
"What - I told you the truth." Sango's eyes darted towards the forest.  
  
Inuyasha followed her gaze and looked at the border of trees. Kouga was in that forest... with Kagome. Suddenly Inuyasha clenched his fists and stood up angrily on the bank. "She's with Kouga?!"  
  
"What, are you psychic or something?!" Sango stared at him, wondering how on earth he'd managed to deduce something that quickly.  
  
"Why would Kagome need enemies when she has friends like you Sango." Miroku patted her on the shoulder and Sango sighed in defeat.  
  
"I don't believe this... here I am doing the most generous thing I have ever done in my ENTIRE life and she's off cavorting with the wimpy wolf!" Inuyasha snarled, glaring at the trees.  
  
"Would you stop that?" Sango scolded him. "Kouga was hurt in that battle too - Kagome's just gone to offer him some comfort and some aid."  
  
"Sango - you're too young to understand the kind of 'comfort' she could be offering Kouga right at this very moment!" Inuyasha told her angrily.  
  
Sango looked from him to Fushi flatly. No of course she wouldn't understand what sex was... "You're stupid Inuyasha."  
  
"Jealousy is a powerful force." Miroku said wisely. "Some of the most terrible and awing things in history have been the result of love and jealousy. It's a blinding force."  
  
"Shut up!" Inuyasha was fast losing his temper. "I'm not jealous."  
  
Miroku just smiled slightly, knowing if he continued he'd probably push Inuyasha too far. "Of course you're not jealous. I never said you were."  
  
There was a slight patronising tone in his voice that Inuyasha didn't like. But before he could act out his violent urges he dived back into the lake and went to go comb the muddy bed for that glowing little jewel he knew was down there somewhere.  
  
Miroku glanced down at Sango. "He's totally jealous, right?"  
  
"Right." Sango smirked. "I can't believe he's denying it after all this time. It's so obvious they like each other! Why don't they just give in to it?"  
  
"Because he's too proud and she's too unsure of herself." Miroku sighed deeply. "She's not really confident enough to approach him with her feelings... and he won't approach her with his because he probably doesn't understand them. He's that thick."  
  
"Mm..." Sango murmured her agreement before looking at him sharply. "And stop antagonising him - it doesn't help!"  
  
"I don't antagonise him!" Miroku contrived to look hurt.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes and glanced back over the lake, wondering when Inuyasha was going to surface again. Like speak of the devil he appeared at the surface, coughing to catch his breath.  
  
Miroku couldn't hold it in any longer. "It must be love, lo~ve, love!" he sang out, making Sango burst into sniggers despite her earlier reprimanding.  
  
Miroku quickly had to duck the huge killer fish that was thrown his way.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm so glad to see you again, Kagome, you don't know how long I've been pining for you." Kouga clasped her hands close to his chest.  
  
Kagome smiled weakly and tried to pull her hands free. "That's nice..."  
  
"You should stay at the camp with us - you must get lonely up there in that palace with only that dog-turd for company." Kouga smirked. "he can't be much fun."  
  
Kagome pulled her hands away sharply and sat down on an unusually low branch of a tree. Kouga sat down fluidly beside her. His injuries obviously hadn't been as grievous as Inuyasha's... but apparently he had been one of the body count as well at that battle. Tenseiga had revived him too. "I'm glad you're ok, Kouga. You healed fast."  
  
"Of course." He scoffed arrogantly. "I'm a full Youkai, unlike that half wit half breed."  
  
"I wish you'd stop calling him that..." Kagome sighed.  
  
"Why? You like him or something?" Kouga asked suspiciously.  
  
Kagome fumbled with her skirts. "Not in the way you think. He's my friend that's all."  
  
Kouga seemed to accept this easily with a carefree shrug. Kagome turned her attention to watching a fungus on the branch beside her. She touched it lightly with a finger, but quickly pulled her hand back sharply when the fungus suddenly grew slightly, spreading further. Kagome held her hands tightly against her lap like they were dangerous weapons... fortunately Kouga hadn't seemed to notice what she'd done. Not that he really noticed anything about her anymore. He hadn't even commented on the fact she'd trimmed her hair again. Typical unobservant man...  
  
Glancing back down at the fungus she sighed. These things had been happening ever since she'd seen Inuyasha with Urami. She didn't know quite what had happened... but Lady Inu had a theory.  
  
Apparently hanging around Kikyo's death place DID have a knock on effect on Kagome. She was picking up traces of the dead Miko's powers and absorbing them into her own. Nothing too crazy like Kikyo's powers... but subtle... and more natural that Kikyo's. Lady Inu reckoned that Kagome's surge of anger must have been similar to that of Kikyo's when she'd died... so Kagome had placed herself on a level with the dead girl.  
  
Kagome didn't want to be on any level with Kikyo. She didn't like Kikyo at all... she didn't want to turn into her copy cat, even though Lady Inu insisted that Kikyo's powers had been highly unnatural and had never bent trees, turfed up turf of caused things to grow from seeds in seconds.  
  
Would Inuyasha see it that way? Or would he assume she was more like Kikyo than ever?  
  
Kagome sighed and rolled her eyes away from the fungus to rest on Kouga who was currently talking to Ginta beside her. She didn't know why she kept thinking of Inuyasha now... well actually she did... she was humiliated and hurt... something she wouldn't forget in a hurry.  
  
She'd really been a fool back then. She'd been reading the signals all wrong... all the time she thought he hated Urami... but thinking back now... Urami and Inuyasha were always together. They came down to supper together, they were always in his rooms together... strangely enough. The girl he'd had in mind had been Urami, not Kagome. And he hadn't been messing about or winding her up when he'd been describing his bride. He'd been describing Urami... there was no doubt about it.  
  
Kagome couldn't suppress the groan at her own embarrassment. Inuyasha didn't feel anything for Kagome... well maybe he did, but not the same way she felt about him. Now he probably thought she was a foolish little love sick idiot. And he wouldn't be completely wrong.  
  
But now Urami was locked up in the dungeons... her anguished screams to be released reached Kagome's ears every time she passed the stairwell leading to the dungeons... she never went down there though. It occurred to Kagome then that Inuyasha was probably hurting again. Urami... the third girl... had turned out to be a traitor.  
  
Inuyasha was probably in terrible pain if he was in love with Urami. Sure he said he hated the girl... but he'd said the same thing about Kikyo and Kagome.  
  
Kagome decided then and there to stop being terse and to stop avoiding him. He needed comfort at a time like this and she was being selfish and steering clear of him. He probably didn't even know why she was upset at him... she just had to put it behind her and let things get back to normal.  
  
Hopefully.  
  
"Listen, Kouga," Kagome stood up, interrupting his conversation with Ginta. "I have to get back to the palace. The sun will be setting soon and I still want to see my way back home."  
  
Kouga could be slow... if not slightly dull. But even he didn't miss the way she was calling the palace her 'home'. He watched her intensely for a moment, making her shift uncertainly under his scrutiny. She still smelled strongly of Inuyasha... even more so than before.  
  
He'd lost his woman...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"My lord, the spy we placed in the northern palace kitchens has been discovered. He had to make a run for it and has returned... he's reporting that Urami wasn't so lucky... she's been captured and is being held in the dungeons." A soldier bowed formerly before his king. "What are your orders?"  
  
Sesshomaru sighed deeply as he shifted in his seat. It was pathetic really... but he could only blame himself for putting a child like Urami into such an important job. "We'll attack again." He said simply, after a moments thought.  
  
"Very good. I'll go tell the soldiers to prepare for another invasion-" the guard turned to leave but suddenly Sesshomaru stood and raised a hand to silence him.  
  
"No... we're not invading openly this time." Sesshomaru said firmly. "We're going to take the palace by stealth... no warning. Gather only the men you are sure you can trust, and no more than three hundred. We'll travel to the Northern palace and kill anyone we cross. Then we'll overtake the palace step by step."  
  
The soldier he was speaking to looked wary. "Is that not dishonourable."  
  
"Not in the least." Sesshomaru frowned lightly at him, angry at the accusation. "I do not want to risk anyone taking Inuyasha before me this time... and Kagome will be mine for the killing as well."  
  
"Very well." The soldier bowed his way out of the room.  
  
"And remember..." Sesshomaru called after him. "Only gather the men we trust."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome hummed lightly under her breath as she made her way back to her rooms. She hadn't bumped into any of her friends yet, and she didn't really plan on seeking them out. She just wanted some alone time to think. Perhaps get some well needed sleep.  
  
She pushed open her door and stepped inside. She stopped at once as she saw Inuyasha sit up on her bed and stare openly at her. For a moment all she could do was blink back at him in surprise before the image of him kissing Urami came to mind and her anger soared. She had to fight it back down and forced herself to remain calm. He was hurting, right? She shouldn't get mad at him... just offer him comfort and take what affection she could get off him.  
  
Inuyasha watched her with growing curiosity as a wide range of emotions passed over her face, finally ending in a light smile and attentive eyes. "Did you want something?"  
  
Wasn't she mad at him? "Um... I just wanted to talk to you I guess..." though if she wasn't mad at him then there was really no need to talk.  
  
"Inuyasha, let me just say I know how you feel." Kagome moved to sit down on the bed edge beside him.  
  
"You do?" Inuyasha was totally non-plussed.  
  
"I do... I know how hard it is to lose someone you love... for them to abandon you for something greater..." She sighed. "I had Kouga remember."  
  
Inuyasha stared at her before frowning. "What the hell are you talking about?"  
  
Kagome blinked at him. "You and Urami? Aren't you upset that she's betrayed you?"  
  
"Yes - I'm fucking angry, that's what!" Inuyasha burst out.  
  
Kagome sighed and patted his arm. "It's ok, there's no need to pretend with me. Just let it all out, it feels good to cry. It's the first step to feeling better, trust me. Don't bottle the pain up inside and leave it to fester."  
  
"What did you do, fall over and hit your head on you way back from Kouga's?!" Inuyasha scowled at her. "You're making no sense whatsoever!"  
  
"But you were in love with Urami!" Kagome protested. "Why aren't you going to allow yourself to express your pain - you need to let it-"  
  
"Hold on! You think I was in love with Urami?" Inuyasha snorted. "That's a good one. Tell me another."  
  
"What?" Kagome drew back a bit. "But... you were kissing her... you were... you were always talking about her... I thought you loved her!"  
  
"I hated her!"  
  
"Then why would you kiss her?!" Kagome's anger beginning to rise as she saw no reason to be nice to him anymore.  
  
"I don't know - it was just heat of the moment! I was still getting over that illness!"  
  
"You kissed her out of the heat of the moment?" Kagome stood up angrily to glare down at him. "What are you, Miroku?!"  
  
"How dare you compare me to him!" Inuyasha stood as well to keep her from towering over him.  
  
"Right now I don't see the difference! You couldn't have me so you transfer your lust to Urami instead! You seem to leap on every sweet face you see!"  
  
"I do not! I don't leap on your sweet face do I?!"  
  
The both blushed as they took what he'd said into consideration. They suddenly realised their proximity to one another and took a few steps to put a good distance between them.  
  
"No... you don't..." Kagome said, moving some more so she could put the bed between them. "But why did you kiss her if you hate her?!"  
  
"Because I was thinking of you the whole time!" Inuyasha snapped, hoping that would clinch it. If she knew he'd been picturing her the whole time she'd be happy, right?  
  
Wrong.  
  
"What?! You pervert!" Kagome stomped her foot. "I couldn't be there to take your passions out on so you jumped to Urami instead who just happened to be around to relieve you!"  
  
"You make it sound so dirty!"  
  
"Because it IS dirty!"  
  
"But what about you, huh?!" Inuyasha challenged, jabbing a finger in her direction. "The minute you hear me kissing someone else - which by the way was a mistake and I never intended for it to happen - you go running off to your little lover boy in the forest who will always be there to offer you a comforting mouth to fall on!"  
  
"How dare you?!" Kagome shrieked. "I can't believe you think I still love Kouga! I do NOT love him! How many times do I have to tell you?!"  
  
"You don't have to love someone to sleep with them just to get back at me!" Inuyasha snapped accusingly.  
  
Kagome's blood boiled with pure anger and she marched open to the door and threw it back. "Get out now! If you think I'm that low then you don't know me at all! Go on! Leave!"  
  
Inuyasha glared a moment before stomping over to the door. He looked like he was going to stomp straight out, but he stopped beside her and dug a hand into the fold of his shirt. Kagome watched him suspiciously, ready to scream if he tried something.  
  
But he completely surprised her when he grabbed her hand and slapped something he'd pulled from his shirt into her palm. With that he didn't even acknowledge any other parting farewell as he stormed out.  
  
Kagome looked down at the object in her hand. The anger leaving her in a heartbeat. She was holding the Shikon no Tama.  
  
How had he gotten it...?  
  
Suddenly she burst into motion and flew out of the room after Inuyasha. He'd already gone inside his own room so she threw back the door and swept straight over to him. He turned in surprise as she entered. "Do you think you can just dump something like this on me without any warning?" she said as she approached.  
  
Inuyasha wanted to step back, but he didn't want to appear weaker, so he stood strong, ready to fight it out with her again if need be. That's why it totally threw him when she launched herself into him and clutched her arms around his neck to give him the happiest hug she'd ever given anyone.  
  
"Thank you!" Kagome cried into his shoulder with a big grin. "You have no idea how much this means to me..."  
  
Inuyasha relaxed with relief. She wasn't angry anymore. He smiled slightly as he returned her embrace, sharing in the happiness that seemed to rub off on him.  
  
"How did you get it?" she drew back slightly to see him.  
  
"Well... Sango had it, actually..." Inuyasha was still a little stumped that she had forgiven him so easily. "It's a long story."  
  
"You can tell me later." Kagome pulled him back into a fierce hug and practically squealed with delight. "You're the best friend I've ever had!"  
  
Well. He'd solved that little fiasco. All without apologising once.  
  
Hang on... JUST a best friend?  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next chapter - 'Marry Me' !!!!!!^____^!!!!! 


	24. Marry Me

AN: Well you all assume it's Inu and Kag with this proposal... what if it's Lady Inu and... the guy who tends the horses down in the stables? It could happen...  
  
And another thing we better set straight - the time that has gone by since Kagome arrived on the island. Well, she arrived around a new moon and received the poison of Sesshomaru - and he said she had 3 months to get the cure and get the info off Inuyasha. Now since that time Inuyasha has turned full Youkai once (on the full moon) and human once, again - at the time of the last battle. Now that means it's only really been a full month since Kagome got the poison - so she isn't going to die just yet.  
  
And I know, because I was very careful about how much time passes in this. So really Kagome has only known Inuyasha for a little over a month...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Marry Me  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"You disgust me you filthy little whore! If you touch me again it'll be the last thing you ever touch with those defiled fingers! Got that?! If I ever see your face again I may not be so lenient in my decision to not have you executed!" Inuyasha shouted, facing Kagome.  
  
She blinked at him in surprise for a moment. "Is that what you really said to Urami?"  
  
"Well..." Inuyasha shrugged and went back to practising his sword swings. "In a nutshell. The real thing went on for like five minutes until I shouted myself hoarse."  
  
"So what are you going to do with her?" Kagome asked, watching him idly.  
  
"I dunno..." he spoke without breaking in his practise. "She's not really much of a threat. Mum doesn't want her to be executed. So we'll just keep her locked up for a while to give her a scare and then send her back to her village."  
  
"You mean she really does have a village?" Kagome looked surprised. "I thought she made all that stuff about having a family up."  
  
Inuyasha shook his head slightly. "No. Some soldiers went to check it out. She has a family, a large one, that's depending on her as the breadwinner. She has no father though, he was killed personally by my father after being found out to be a spy for the north as well. Sort of ironic what he named his daughter, Urami, 'resentment', and she followed his footsteps to get revenge."  
  
"I call that having no life of her own." Kagome said snippily. "She should have just settled for marrying a farmer and taken care of her family."  
  
Inuyasha grunted a noncommittal reply. He didn't like talking about Urami. She was just another spy that wasn't really worth the time to think about. Kagome was a much nicer topic of thought. Now what had she meant by that 'best friend' comment?  
  
"You know..." Kagome sighed to herself and cocked her head as she watched him. "After seeing your father in those visions... you look a lot like him actually... except maybe he was slightly taller... like Sesshomaru I guess..."  
  
Inuyasha's face warmed slightly. He didn't know why a comment like that made him slightly flustered. Maybe it was because a lot of people thought his father had been extremely good looking... and if Kagome thought he looked like his father then perhaps...  
  
"But you have a cuter butt anyway." Kagome concluded with a grin.  
  
The surprise made Inuyasha's foot slip on the mat and he fell with a short cry onto his front, and didn't move. The only sound that could be heard after that was Kagome's mirthful laughter. "Oh Inuyasha... you're such a goof..."  
  
"And you're such a flibbertigibbet." He shot back.  
  
Kagome sobered at once. "What did you call me?! I am NOT the inside of a chicken! Is that some kind of new insult?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at her. "What?! I didn't call you giblets!"  
  
"Oh..." She calmed down a little. "Then what does flubber-jibbits mean?"  
  
"You really are a peasant aren't you...?" Inuyasha shook his head at her.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"What's the matter Sango?" Miroku asked as he looked up from the baby he held to the ticked off looking girl sitting by the bedroom window.  
  
"The Shikon no Tama..." Sango snapped out angrily. "The bleeding jewel... I thought it was a pearl or something that the fish had eaten - but no! It HAS to be the one precious thing that Inuyasha just HAS to take back! I could have sold it and been rich! But no - he has to give it to Kagome to save her soul!"  
  
"Curse that selfish pair." Miroku shook his head, but he smiled with amusement at Sango's obvious anger.  
  
"Don't patronise me..." she warned with narrowed eyes, but she wasn't being totally serious with him.  
  
"I wasn't." he carefully put the sleeping Fushi back in his cradle and went over to sit down beside Sango. "But if you're so hooked up on having a pretty jewel... here you go."  
  
He dropped a pendent into her hand and waited for her reaction.  
  
Sango gasped and stared at it. Slowly she held it up to see it better. "Miroku... it's... it's beautiful, it's real gold, it's perfect... it's... it's... Lady Inu's." She froze before turning a glare on him. "Miroku... you stole this from Lady Inu didn't you?"  
  
"Well... yes and no..." he started off but Sango slapped the pendent back into his hand.  
  
"There - go steal it back before she notices." She sighed. "I guess time really hasn't changed some people."  
  
Miroku pocketed the pendent before glancing back across at her. "I may have changed more than you think."  
  
Sango snorted in response.  
  
"Well if I was really the same person would I have done this...?" he asked. Sango glanced at him sharply, waiting for him to grope her or something... but instead he slipped off the bed and knelt before her, taking his hands in his. Sango stared at him in open surprise, at once all the irritation she'd felt before left her in a snap as she realised what he was about to do.  
  
"Sango... please say you'll marry me." He said earnestly. "And before you say no - let me just tell you a few of the many reasons why we should marry. Number one, being because of Fushi - I want him to grow up in a stable family unit and so on - and another reason would be that I want to stick around and make sure you don't marry anyone else and make them into more of a father to Fushi than me. Also I think if we marry it would be very financially rewarding if you know what I mean."  
  
"And the part where we marry for love comes in when?" Sango raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"I was getting to that..." Miroku squeezed her hands. "But I didn't think that would matter so much to you..."  
  
Sango sighed and pulled her hands away... only to place them on either side of his face. "Miroku... I'll only marry you if you love me."  
  
"Then you should have married me years ago." He smiled. "I take it this is an extended answer for 'yes'?"  
  
"Yes." Sango smiled widely and leaned down to kiss him on the lips for the first time in a long, long time.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
It had taken a full day to travel from the northern territory all the way to the Southern palace without being detected by anyone along the way. Sesshomaru's men had to take the long way around, sticking to the tree lines along the coast. But it had been worth it, and when they arrived at the Southern palace they could barely contain themselves.  
  
"They're ours!" one the men practically bubbled like a young girl. "They don't suspect a thing! We could just storm the palace tonight and they'd never know what hit them!"  
  
"Shut your mouth, fool." Sesshomaru cut him off sharply. "We are not storming anything. We are talking this place by stealth. And you are to kill no one. The smell of blood will alert them."  
  
"How do you wish us to go about this?" the captain of the guard asked.  
  
"Infiltrate and render the guards and soldiers unconscious and replace them with our own one by one." Sesshomaru said loudly so they all heard. "Hide the Southern warriors in the closets and rooms and take their posts. Then when I give the order... it will look like a mutiny... they will not see it coming."  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Kagome hugged her knees loosely as she stared daringly across the tiny storage room to Inuyasha who was staring just as intensely back. How much time had passed? It seemed like forever... but neither were going to back down from the challenge. The room was really only big enough for one of them so they had to sit opposite each other to either side of the door with their backs against the walls. But even then their knees still touched and Kagome tried to distract Inuyasha's gaze by tapping the end of her foot lightly on his toes.  
  
"You can't keep this up forever." He told her, struggling to hold back a grin.  
  
"I come from a family with fifteen people in the house... most of them kids... I can do this ALL day." Kagome replied evenly, refusing to look away.  
  
"What happens when you need to eat, drink and sleep. What happens when you need the bathroom?" Inuyasha pointed out.  
  
"I can wait."  
  
He smirked. "I can wait longer."  
  
Good point, but she was sure she could win this little staring contest. It had been building up over the day. They'd been trying to outstare each other since the minute they'd sat down for breakfast. Inuyasha had lost five times, mostly because he'd been distracted by something and forgotten the contest, while Kagome had only lost once so far.  
  
Now Inuyasha was getting annoyed and wanted to prove that he could win anything, even something as simple as a staring contest.  
  
It was rather sad really...  
  
"Inuyasha..." Kagome tried to distract him again. "You have a stain on your shirt."  
  
"That only works once." He said, holding her gaze and refusing to look down to see if she was right. In actual fact - she WAS telling the truth. Inuyasha was not a neat eater when he was starving... like he'd been at supper an hour ago.  
  
The sound of running footsteps could be heard outside in the corridor, and Sango's voice calling out. "Inuyasha? Oh Inu~ya~sha! The advisors want to talk to you about that marriage thing again - they say you have to take a wife!"  
  
Kagome smiled as she saw Inuyasha's lip curl slightly.  
  
"And I have some great news to tell you and Kagome!" Sango called out. "But I won't tell you till you come out from wherever it is you're hiding!"  
  
"Should we go see?" Kagome asked quietly.  
  
Inuyasha gave an ever so small shake of the head. "It's a trick... she pulls that one all the time. She only says it to make me come out and then the advisors pin me down to question me."  
  
Sango's footsteps retreated down the corridor until they were gone along with her voice. Kagome went back to thinking of a way to get Inuyasha to look away. Suddenly she got a brilliant idea.  
  
She gasped loudly and suddenly tightened her arms around her knees. "Dammit..."  
  
"What?" he frowned, waiting for her to try and cheat on their game.  
  
"I forgot to put my underwear on this morning!" she hissed.  
  
Inuyasha forgot the game in a heartbeat and jerked his eyes downwards to see if she was right. Kagome burst out laughing and poked him in the chest. "Your perverted ways are your downfall!"  
  
"That was under the belt!" he snapped, jerking his eyes back up to her face.  
  
"I'd say." She sniggered at him. "I am wearing underwear by the way."  
  
"I know." He saw her glare at him and quickly tried again. "I mean - I know because you were obviously trying to catch me out."  
  
"Right..." she tucked her skirts more securely around her. "Anyway - we should be going, I'm sure they're all wondering where we went. They probably think we've sneaked off to... you know..."  
  
Inuyasha pulled a face. "Best two out of three - I have to win this!"  
  
"No you don't!" Kagome laughed as she got to her feet and brushed her skirts down.  
  
"Oh come on - if you go then I have to go and then the advisors put a hook around my neck and make me sit down and listen to a loud of crap about the kingdom. Do you know how boring that is?"  
  
"Well, being King comes at a price you know." Kagome pointed out. "It isn't always sunshine and daisies and fancy costumes."  
  
"I know that - that's why I get a break from being King for three hours a day." He folded his arms moodily. "I still have an hour left so I'm not going anywhere."  
  
"So you're just going to sit in a cupboard for an hour until your shift to be king comes back?" Kagome seemed reluctant to leave. "Alone?"  
  
Inuyasha sighed, milking the situation. He could play on her sympathy and get her to stay. "Yes..."  
  
"You lonely fool..." Kagome sat back with a smile, though found this difficult because he'd stretched his legs out across the small space. And since he refused to move his legs because he was comfortable, she was forced to sit a little to the side of his feet and stretch her legs out across his in retaliation. He didn't seem to mind though.  
  
"So you wanna make it the best two out of three?" she asked, realising that their current position was a lot more comfortable than the last.  
  
"Nah... I'm bored of the now." He shrugged.  
  
"You have the attention span of a minnow." She told him flatly.  
  
"No... mine is less." He smirked and rapped his claws lightly against her shin. "Damn... your feet are really cold."  
  
"That's what happens when you don't wear shoes." She leaned down and pretended to sniff his feet and wrinkled her nose. "At least mine don't stink."  
  
"Don't be so sure." That earned him a sound pinch on the ankle. "Hey!"  
  
"You had that coming..." she told him.  
  
They sat in a comfortable sort of silence for a while in the dark room, before eventually Inuyasha noticed Kagome was grinning like a maniac. "What?" he asked, frowning, thinking she was laughing at him.  
  
"No... I'm just really happy that's all." She laughed slightly. "Naraku hasn't visited me... I think... I think he really can't find me... he has nothing on me anymore."  
  
Inuyasha didn't feel so inclined to smile. Any mention of Naraku made his stomach lurch with anger and hatred. "That's good, right."  
  
"He only has about a month before his time is up and he has to return to the underworld. If he still can't find me by then I'll be free from his grip forever." Kagome smiled and hugged herself since Inuyasha was too far away to embrace with happiness. "Until then all I have to do is keep the Shikon with me and I'll be ok..."  
  
"I'm happy for you." Though his tone of voice told differently.  
  
Kagome sensed that and tried to soothe him a little. "If it wasn't for you... I'd be screwed you know... you've saved my soul."  
  
Put like that... it warmed him inside a little, but he still didn't return her smile. Kagome guessed that Naraku was still a touchy subject for him. Well... given time he'd forgive and forget completely.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango entered the throne room sullenly and strode up to Lady Inu to take back her son. She then turned to glare at Kouga and the rest of his band of merry men behind him. "I'm sorry, Kouga, I can't find either of them."  
  
"He's hiding, that bastard!" Kouga growled. "He's too chicken to fight me so he run's away and hides Kagome from me! I need to see her!"  
  
"Has it even occurred to you that he doesn't know you're here?" Miroku suddenly broke into his ramble. "That he and Kagome aren't hiding from you but from us so they can enjoy each other."  
  
Sango nudged him hard in the side. He rubbed his ribs and glared at her. "What? I'm telling the truth! It's about time those two stubborn fools took pleasure from one another-"  
  
"Miroku, please." Lady Inu wrinkled her nose. "I'm his mother, I don't want to think of my son doing those things."  
  
"But you talk about it all the time." Sango pointed out to her.  
  
Kouga growled in frustration as he seemed to be ignored. "Enough! I'll find that asshole myself and make him pay for stealing my mate!"  
  
"Technically, Kouga, she isn't your mate so he hasn't stolen anything. Your anger is unwarranted." Sango pointed out, stroking Fushi's head.  
  
"My woman - my claim!" Kouga thumped the wall angrily. "He stole her - and my claim was strong."  
  
"If not one sided..." Miroku rolled his eyes.  
  
"What did you say?" Kouga spun on him.  
  
"I said - you're a little short sighted!" Miroku said loudly. "you must be blind if you haven't realised by now that Kagome is in love with Inuyasha - not you!"  
  
"I met her first! She's MY woman!" Kouga marched up to face off with Miroku.  
  
"That means nothing - whoever met her first isn't going to set a rule saying she HAS to love you! If that was true - her first ever boyfriend would be the one she loved the most!"  
  
"I AM her first boyfriend!"  
  
"How naïve..." Sango commented.  
  
Kouga gripped his fists tightly by his side. "I'll find that dog-turd and make him pay - I'll rip his fucking throat out!"  
  
They watched him neutrally, obviously not believing a word he said, as he marched towards the door, about to throw it open and storm out, leaving his men behind in the throne room.  
  
"Tea?" Lady Inu offered all the wolf men who nodded sheepishly.  
  
But before Kouga could reach the door to storm out successfully, it was thrown open from the other side. Kouga halted and stepped back as a larger, more imposing force stepped into the room.  
  
It was like a cold wind suddenly swept around the room, chasing the cheer away and turning everything to ice. They all looked up at the door and stiffened up as they saw Sesshomaru standing there. Fushi began to squirm restlessly, while Sango tried her best to calm him... anything to stop him from crying... not now...  
  
Lady Inu was the first to move to stand before everyone else, her anger clear on her face. Obviously she wasn't about to forget the misery and pain this relative had put her son through. "You have a lot of nerve showing your face here, Sesshomaru. Where are you cronies? Or are you so confident as to think you won't need them."  
  
"I am not underestimating anyone." Sesshomaru replied smoothly. "Rather it is YOU who is underestimating me."  
  
Lady Inu opened her mouth to speak but Sesshomaru suddenly clicked his fingers. The guards all around the throne room all suddenly swung their weapons before them and advanced on the members inside the room until every guard had a sword or staff pointed at their necks. The wolf men, Lady Inu, Miroku and Sango who was desperately trying to shush Fushi from crying too hard.  
  
"What is this?" Lady Inu glared at what she thought was an obvious mutiny.  
  
"Don't worry. Your men are still loyal... wherever they are locked up in the cupboards..." Sesshomaru sounded a tad bored as he wondered up and smudged a finger against one random guard's cheek. The face paint smeared away to reveal a stripe. "Fortunately for you."  
  
Lady Inu quieted. She knew when to stop pushing the argument. However... Fushi didn't. He carried on crying until he was literally bawling at the top of his lungs, while Sango desperately rocked him and cuddled him close. The noise was beginning to get on Sesshomaru's nerves and he narrowed a glare on the girl holding the child. "Do shut that thing up."  
  
"I-I can't... h-he's only a baby..." she stammered slightly.  
  
"Shut him up or I will shut him up forever." Sesshomaru raised his voice slightly. "Human children... so much weaker than demon children..."  
  
"Don't talk to her that way." Miroku pulled Sango back against him protectively, glaring angrily at Sesshomaru. "Leave her alone."  
  
"Is it me, or do there seem to be more humans in control of this country than demons." Sesshomaru shook his head with a tutting sound. "This can't do... think how the people see this? Before we know it we'll be a demon land ruled by humans... that happened on the mainland... and now it's happening here."  
  
"At least we would rule better than vengeful fool like you." Lady Inu said calmly.  
  
Sesshomaru graced her with a thin-lipped smile. "You attempts to anger me are wasted, bitch."  
  
Kouga was looking around the room and counting the number of dog demons he'd have to fight to get control again. There were fifteen of them and twenty of his own men. But right now the match was in favour of the Inu Youkai considering they all had blades pointed at the wolf men's necks. He's have to bide his time.  
  
"Now..." Sesshomaru said loudly, trying to speak over the ear-splitting cries of Fushi. "Someone go bring Inuyasha here now or..." he reached out faster than the eye could follow and ripped Sango from Miroku's grip and pulled her against him to level a blade at her throat. "I kill both mother and child..."  
  
"No!" Miroku lurched forward, but stopped when Sango gave a strangled cry as Sesshomaru squeezed her throat. If he attacked Sesshomaru then he'd probably get Sango hurt... not to mention Fushi... plus the fact he was only a human and Sesshomaru was a VERY strong Inu demon.  
  
He stepped back into line, but no less angry and ready to rip Sesshomaru apart the first chance he got.  
  
Sesshomaru glanced at two of the guards. "Go and find Inuyasha and Kagome and bring them to me. I think... we'll have an interesting little reunion me and that girl..."  
  
The two guards left as everyone else puzzled as to what on earth he'd meant by that comment.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"You know... I think we've been talking for well over an hour." Kagome looked around the dark room as though looking for the time. "Don't you have to start being King soon."  
  
"Urgh..." was Inuyasha's response. He was comfortable now. It was nice and cosy in the Oshiire with the shelves above their heads. It was warm, and after an hour of lazing around their positions had relaxed even more until now Kagome had managed to wiggle her feet beneath his thighs to keep them warm and was casually leaning to one side, resting on an elbow and playing with the ties of his shoes.  
  
"Is it true you only learnt how to tie lace ups three months ago?" she suddenly asked.  
  
Inuyasha blinked at her in surprise before folding his arms. "Yes."  
  
"Now that's funny." She laughed. "The king of the Inu Youkai didn't know how to tie his shoes until he was seventeen!"  
  
"Well why would I have to know if servants tied my shoes every morning!" he shot back. "I only learnt recently because I was growing sick of someone else dressing me every day like I was some kind of invalid!"  
  
Kagome shrugged. "I suppose... that makes more sense."  
  
"Who told you that anyway?" he asked sharply.  
  
"Don't act so paranoid. It was only your mother." She told him, patting his knee comfortingly.  
  
"Oh I get it... this is the cliché bride thing. The mother always tells the future daughter in law all about her sons embarrassing habits like 'did you know he used to run around the grounds naked when he was five years old screaming about his little samurai?'" he said, feigning his mother's voice in a not so flattering way.  
  
"Oh my god..." Kagome stared at him. "You actually did that when you were five!"  
  
"Dammit!" Inuyasha slapped his forehead, cursing his stupid mouth for blabbing that as Kagome began to laugh.  
  
Kagome's laughter suddenly died. "Hang on... did you just call me a future bride?"  
  
Inuyasha remained guarded after that little slip with the samurai thing. "No."  
  
Kagome shrugged and pretended to forget it. She had a way of talking around this to get the information she wanted. "So how's the pressure going from the advisors? They still want you to marry off?"  
  
"Yeah, you think they'd change their minds." He said dully. "Every time I see them it's like they keep dropping 'subtle' hints and pointing out girls in the corridors to me with comments like 'oh, she's make a lovely wife don't you think?' or 'someone ought to snap her up'."  
  
"You know... the best way to solve that problem would be to marry someone." Kagome told him casually.  
  
"Mm." He grunted with a shrug and stared at his lap.  
  
"Well..." Kagome started off uncertainly. "It's not too late to go fetch Urami from the prisons and dress her in a wedding kimono and-"  
  
"I'll pretend you're joking!" he broke out.  
  
Kagome laughed. "Don't worry... I don't think even a very desperate man would scrape the bottom of the barrel that low."  
  
A long pause stretched on, a deliberate on Kagome's part. Silence was like interrogation for Inuyasha. If you just shut up for a while he'd eventually say what he was thinking.  
  
"Kagome... I wasn't lying when I said I had someone in mind."  
  
"Really?" Kagome mentally gave herself a pat on the back. Now she'd find out who he really wanted. Hitako Kireini, Urami or Kagome...  
  
Inuyasha looked up to meet Kagome's eyes, she saw slight confusion in them, as though he wasn't sure of what he was about to say. It was also written all over his face. "Um... remember under the tree... before Urami came along...?"  
  
"How could I forget?" Kagome said slightly icily.  
  
"Well - the bit before that bit you don't like." He said quickly. "When we were talking about a bride and... you know..."  
  
Kagome was feeling a little short of breath at the feelings he was bringing close to the surface with them. "Yes..."  
  
"Well... I've been thinking for a long time... about this..." he frowned down at his lap again. "And... I was going over my options... over who I could possibly choose for a bride... and I chose you..."  
  
Kagome couldn't stifle the small little gasp of breath that escaped her. Her elbow slipped out under her and she toppled onto Inuyasha's legs. It took her a moment to right herself until she sat up straight with her feet curled under her again. "Are you serious?"  
  
"Well... you're the only girl I can possibly stomach for the rest of my life. I can't imagine being with anyone else for that long a time. I can talk to you like you're my best friend... and you said the same about me last night." He said as though it was a reasonable debate. "All the other girls... Kikyo... that other one in the closet..."  
  
"Hitako?"  
  
"Yeah, that's her name." Inuyasha said carelessly. "I wasn't comfortable around Kikyo - she made everything seem awkward, and planned out. There was nothing spontaneous or fun about her - up until the point she spontaneously combusted but that's another story. She said she was real... but being real has to have some kind of fun to it... I know, if I'd married her she would have made every day hard for me, there would be no relaxing moments in a marriage like that."  
  
Kagome watched his face anxiously as he continued. "You're the only girl I like Kagome... you're like a long bath after a hard day... that's why I hate it when you hate me and when you're away... I get all tense and I tend to shout a lot."  
  
"You shout anyway, Inuyasha-"  
  
"Would you shut up and listen?" he interrupted.  
  
"Sorry." Kagome said meekly.  
  
"Anyway, where was I..." he tried to remember. "Oh yeah... I guess the point is that if I ever have to marry, it would be to you... and if you said no... then I'd be a bachelor for the rest of my life."  
  
A long pause stretched on.  
  
"And I'd make sure you'd turn into an old maid." He added. "Just out of revenge, you know."  
  
"Thanks..."  
  
He'd pretty much stunned her into silence. She didn't know what she was supposed to say now... it was like trying to give a crap speech after a really impressive one. "Um... I'm speechless..." well, honesty was usually best.  
  
"I wouldn't blame you." He said quietly, before shifting so he was leaning against the same wall beside her. Kagome was suddenly rather nervous about the very small distance between them. If she didn't know any better she'd say that Inuyasha was deliberately getting this close to-  
  
His hand closed around hers on the ground between them. "I never thought I'd be saying this to anyone... but please say you'll marry me...?"  
  
Kagome jerked her head around to face him. This was very much like being thrown into the deep end... like out of the frying pan and into the fire... like out of the pond and into the sea... well, you get the idea. That morning she'd been unsure about his feelings like any other day... but now... he was practically asking her to marry him. He WAS asking her to marry him.  
  
"I..." she really was speechless now. She felt like crying... she felt like laughing... she felt like the world was going to crash down on top of her in despair... while at the moment she felt that at last everything was going right. She wanted this... but she couldn't do this... but she wanted to. Sense told her that she still needed to be honest with him about Sesshomaru. The poison would strike her down in just over a month from then. She couldn't say yes until she had nothing more to hide...  
  
But she didn't want to wait that long...  
  
"Inuyasha..."  
  
She was taking an extremely long time to answer, he thought. Maybe she didn't want to marry him... maybe she didn't know if she loved him or not... he wasn't going to push her... he wouldn't be too upset if she declined, just as long as she continued to stay near he would be happy.  
  
Meanwhile Kagome was trying to sort out the chaos. Did she love him? She'd never thought about it much... but she supposed she did. She had said it absently from time to time - so that must mean that she loved him. For crying out loud she'd changed a song verse just to sing it to him cryptically. Of course she loved him...  
  
"Inuyasha... I..." she faltered.  
  
He knew she was going to say no and it was tearing her up to do so.  
  
"It's ok." He said softly and leaned down to brush his lips against her cheek. Kagome let her eyes drift close, mentally apologising to him repeatedly. Her eyes stung with tears and she fought to hold them back... but the truth was this was the happiest moment in her life, and the saddest, she was allowed to let the emotion water her eyes.  
  
She sniffed as she reached up stoke the long forelock of hair that rested before his shoulder. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." the tears made her voice sound strained and creaky.  
  
"I said it's ok. I can wait." He kissed just under her right eye, tasting the salty tears that dampened her skin.  
  
"But I didn't say no yet!" Kagome protested. "I just... need to think..."  
  
"Take as long as you like."  
  
"How's thirty seconds?" Kagome drew back with a sniff. "Ask me again."  
  
He stared at her with utter confusion. "Marry me?"  
  
There was the best question in the world again, it nearly choked her up with tears. No... she had to think... yes or no... weigh or options...  
  
Inuyasha watched her silently, realising that he really wanted her answer to be positive. He really wanted to marry her...  
  
"Well?" he asked, a little urgently as he heard approaching footsteps sound outside. They were sure and steady on the floor... and they were heading right for the cupboard he was sitting in with Kagome.  
  
"They're in here, I smell them." A guards voice said to a companion whose footsteps also followed the first set. In fact... if he counted... Inuyasha thought he heard five guards.  
  
The door swung back and Kagome jumped as five guards looked down on them. Five guards with stripes on their cheeks. Kagome was rendered speechless all over again. Though Inuyasha was a little quicker... he knew what had happened... he knew he was probably without his army this time.  
  
"Get up." A guard snapped at Inuyasha as the two on each of his sides leant down and grabbed Inuyasha to pull him up. It was useless struggling, he'd have no where to run, and no where to get help.  
  
Instead Inuyasha looked down at Kagome with a shrug and smirk. "Better give me that answer now."  
  
Kagome was a little too surprised to remember what the question had been in the first place. And by the time she realised what he was talking about Inuyasha was being dragged away and Kagome was jerked up by the one remaining guard to follow them.  
  
Never mind... she'd tell him 'yes' later.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
Everyone looked up again as the doors to the throne room opened again and Inuyasha was shoved through roughly. "Alright!" he barked at the men behind them before spotted Sesshomaru and his whole demeanour darkened again. "I thought you'd come back to finish off what we started..."  
  
"What a vain boy you are, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru smirked. "Why does everything have to be about you? Ah - here she is."  
  
Kagome was led into the room by another guard. When she saw Sesshomaru her stomach twisted and belly-flopped. Oh no... she knew this wasn't good... he was going to tell Inuyasha everything no doubt... and it would sound a lot worse coming from Sesshomaru than Kagome. Damn... she should have told him earlier.  
  
"What has Kagome got to do with this?" Inuyasha snapped, seeing Sesshomaru eyeing the girl with light amusement.  
  
"I take it you didn't tell him about our little bargain?" Sesshomaru said rather cruelly. Kagome's gaze faltered to the floor.  
  
Sango took a cautious step away from Miroku. "Deal? You don't know Kagome - you've never met her. Leave her alone!"  
  
"A woman should know her place." Sesshomaru glared at her. "Speak only unless spoken to - unless she wishes to speak no more."  
  
Sango backed down slightly, and continued to comfort Fushi.  
  
"Where was I?" Sesshomaru turned back to Inuyasha and Kagome who were standing very close together. "Oh yes... our little deal..."  
  
Inuyasha glanced at Kagome but she was finding the floor infinitely more interesting than any of the conversation right then.  
  
"Well done Kagome. You provided the most useful information for me. I don't think the battle would have gone quite so orderly if you hadn't been so compliant." Sesshomaru smiled slightly.  
  
"What?" Kagome frowned at him.  
  
"I suppose you deserve your payment." Sesshomaru unhooked a flask from the sash at his waist and threw it to her. She caught it clumsily and held it, looking confused. "Your cure, for telling me Inuyasha's human night of the month... you've won me this war... it's the least I can do."  
  
He was lying. She'd completely duped Sesshomaru, but that wouldn't have hurt Inuyasha as much. She quickly glanced up at Inuyasha to see his reaction, anxiety written on his face. He darted a glance down at her and saw nothing but guilt.  
  
She'd betrayed him. It wasn't just a case of lying to him... this was real. She'd sold him out for her own selfish reasons and now his life was about to come to an end... along with Sango's, Fushi's and Miroku's... and his mother's...  
  
The pain of dying was nothing compared to what he felt then.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Well I bet you all thought it was just Miroku and Sango's proposal... but not quite ^_^... but then I ruined it all with this little number. Sorry about that. Anyway, next chapter is - 'Sudden Abdication'  
  
And flibbertigibbet means - a flighty, foolish girl. Just for those people who couldn't be bothered looking it up on the dictionary. How do I know this word? Because my old science teacher called me it... ¬_¬ 


	25. Sudden Abdication

AN: Sorry about the wait - I've been totally laid down by work right now. Revising, homework, and demanding nuns looking after old people are in a daily routine these days... ^_^;; God my life's weird...  
  
Anyway, this is the second to last chapter, depending on how I want to end the story (no I'm not debating on whether it'll be sad or happy, I already have my idea set on that debate) But it's safe to presume that the story only has one more chapter to go after this. ^_^!!!! Eek!  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Sudden Abdication  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No..." Kagome shook her head as she stared at a smug looking Sesshomaru. "You're lying... Inuyasha - he's lying! I swear it!"  
  
She glanced quickly back at Inuyasha, but his expression was so closed that she couldn't quite tell what he was feeling. He wasn't looking at her, but was instead looking across the room to where Sango stood close to Miroku with Fushi. Kagome had no idea what was running through his head... he didn't even appear to care.  
  
"Do get your priorities settled Kagome..." Sesshomaru interrupted the stretched out silence after a moment. "Take your cure and get out."  
  
She looked down at the clay and cloth flask she held in her hands, as if only just realising what she had. The cure... she'd be free of Sesshomaru's poison once and for all...  
  
But...  
  
Glancing back up at Inuyasha she realised drinking it would probably be another major blow to his pride. She couldn't do that... she couldn't even leave and save it for later. There was no way she was going to hurt Inuyasha any more than she had now.  
  
So she dropped the flask.  
  
A dull crack sounded as it split on the tiled floor, spilling the liquid inside all over the floor at her feet. Kagome didn't bother looking, she just glared contemptuously at Sesshomaru... as if daring him to make a big deal out of it.  
  
"Foolish girl..." Sesshomaru smirked lightly. "Or maybe not so foolish after all. That was just plain water."  
  
That had stung... Kagome swayed slightly as though she'd been slapped. She'd made a life breaking decision to smash that flask... and it hadn't even been worth it.  
  
"What... the hell... is going on here?" Kouga suddenly broke into the conversation. He looked intently at Kagome. "How come you know this bastard?"  
  
Kagome didn't even get the chance to open her mouth to explain when Sesshomaru spoke for her. "I wouldn't expect she would have told you all what happened, the whole thing with treachery rewarded with death thing probably isn't to her test."  
  
Kagome's eyes widened with outrage at the plain lie he spun before her. "Wait a-"  
  
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at her. "Shut it."  
  
The simple command he issued had her mouth falling close almost at it's own accord. She glanced back to him but he looked back at Sesshomaru too quickly for her to catch his gaze...  
  
It hurt even more... that he was willing to listen to Sesshomaru rather than her.  
  
"Peasant girls. They know no bounds of mannerisms." Sesshomaru shook his head. Every one of Kagome's friends suddenly turned a shocked stare on her... obviously... they hadn't been aware that she wasn't a princess like she'd led them to believe.  
  
It was the rubber band theory again. Inuyasha had proposed to her... she'd gotten the Shikon no Tama... and now Sesshomaru was lining them all up and knocking them down.  
  
"She didn't tell you Inuyasha... that when she arrived on the island she first came to me?" Sesshomaru watched his brother's face calmly. "She wanted to be released. She wanted to see you so that she could betray you to Naraku."  
  
Kagome flinched slightly at the accusation. It wasn't true... none of it was true...  
  
"I poisoned her for my own purposes of course." The older brother continued as if they were talking about the weather. "In order to get the cure she would continue to this palace and claim the knowledge of when your human night cycle comes."  
  
Kagome tried to protest her innocence again. "It isn't-"  
  
"Kagome..." Sango interrupted her protest at once... she was looking at the younger girl with complete bemusement. Kagome felt her heart wrench... she didn't think that even Sango would find it in her heart to forgive her for this.  
  
"And then she told my spy... the new moon." Sesshomaru said evenly. "So I then attacked on the new moon... your human night... the rest is history."  
  
A rather tense silence passed around the room. Kagome was boiling between complete shock, anger and fear.  
  
"The cure..."  
  
They all looked to Miroku who had spoken. He wore a slightly apathetic look on his face. "Where is the cure for Kagome? She did her part... just let her go free now..."  
  
"There is no cure." Sesshomaru smirked lightly. "There never was one. She was doomed the moment my sentries caught her."  
  
One thought only reeled through her head at that point... she was going to die... there was nothing t0 prevent it now. Her vision started to become glazed as the tears crept up on her without warning. She hastily blinked them away, making them spill down her cheeks whilst not caring who saw, as she snapped a heated glare on Sesshomaru.  
  
"You're nothing but a filthy liar! None of what you said is true!" she yelled at him.  
  
Sango and Lady Inu looked hopeful for a moment.  
  
"Oh so I didn't poison you then? You didn't agree to find out Inuyasha's weakness for me?"  
  
"I..." she couldn't deny that part. "That isn't the point - you're lying about me telling you-"  
  
"Who's the liar here, wench?" Sesshomaru snapped coolly. "Who just betrayed all the people who trust her?"  
  
"Stop it!" Kagome cried. "You're twisting everything I said and did!"  
  
"I need not twist anything. Why should I lie when the truth is oh so much more painful?" Sesshomaru smiled patronisingly at her before turning to Inuyasha. "Anyway, enough of the trivial matters. I came here to kill you and take my rightful throne, didn't I?"  
  
"You... you're just as bad as Naraku..." Inuyasha hissed at him. "Manipulating people's lives. Poisoning helpless girls...!"  
  
Kagome looked at him in surprise. Did this mean he still believed in her?  
  
She didn't get much of a chance to wonder on that belief when a new presence arrived in the room. There was no flash of light, no crack of thunder to accompany his arrival. He just materialised out of thin air and a whoosh of that white fur cloak under he stood hunched right in the centre of everything of what was happening.  
  
Kagome couldn't help the anguished cry that escaped her. "No!"  
  
"Baby, why didn't you tell me you were having such trouble?" Naraku turned to her slightly, oblivious to the fact dozens of spears and swords were now pointed his way.  
  
"Naraku!" Inuyasha tore Tessaiga from it's scabbard at once and held it ready. "Where the fuck did you drop from?!"  
  
Naraku ignored him and continued to lazily sweep a hand around him. The guards and soldiers that had surrounded him now were thrown against the walls and knocked unconscious... The others in the room breathed a sigh of relief... well... all save Sesshomaru who now looked a little tense, and of course Inuyasha who probably could have looked a little more relaxed right then.  
  
"Baby... why didn't you tell me about the poison?" Naraku advanced towards her while she stepped back nervously.  
  
"No... go away... I have the Shikon... you can't find me... you can't own me..." Kagome muttered, almost inaudibly.  
  
"You should have more brains than that, Kagome." Naraku smirked at her. "Maybe I can't sniff you out anymore but I still know where to find you. You haven't changed your location since last time I checked. You really are quite dim aren't you?"  
  
"Go away!" Kagome swiped a wild fist at him, but of course, it just passed straight through him.  
  
"You need a cure, yes?" Naraku raised his chin slightly as if looking down at her. "Just ask and you shall receive."  
  
"What?" Kagome whispered, staring at him in shock.  
  
Behind them, everyone else exchanged uncertain glances. Sango looked ready to murder wither Sesshomaru or Naraku, she didn't care which. Inuyasha looked just about the same.  
  
"Here's my new deal." Naraku put forward. "I shall give you a cure to that pesky little amateurs poison. And in exchange... you give me the Shikon no Tama."  
  
"Kagome - no!" Inuyasha broke in angrily. "Don't you dare make any more deals!"  
  
"Do not even think about it bitch." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes angrily at her. But in actual fact, Sesshomaru was the less intimidating figure in the room right then. Naraku dominated over them all.  
  
"I..." Kagome looked around desperately, trying to see an alternative way out. But there was none... she was going to die... and everyone was going to hate her as she went. She didn't want this... this wasn't how she'd planned her death.  
  
Her perfect death had been a noble one where she saved a drowning orphan or a litter of kittens from getting run over... give her life for a noble cause. Not like this... not buried under lies and treachery. She couldn't die hated...  
  
She didn't want that.  
  
"I... I don't want to die..." Kagome whispered, more to herself than Naraku. "I'm only fifteen... I... please... help me..."  
  
Naraku didn't waste a precious moment. He straightened almost gleefully. "Done. You're cured."  
  
Just like that? Kagome blinked back the tears that were spilling down her cheeks.  
  
"Now... give me the Shikon no Tama..." Naraku said slowly and commandingly. "Or else you know the consequences to your soul."  
  
"Leave her alone you big brute!" Sango yelled, running forward to pull Kagome away from Naraku. "Stop treating her like a rag doll you can just toss around!"  
  
Sango's defence brought a gush of relief in Kagome and she couldn't hold back the sob that rose in her throat. At least she still had Sango...  
  
"Girl, this is none of your business." Naraku told her dryly.  
  
"Yeah, but still!" Sango argued hotly. "You have no right!"  
  
"I have every right! She is my property to do as I will! It is her own fault she sold her soul for the likes of that wolf there." Naraku jerked his chin towards Kouga who looked dumb-founded.  
  
"What?" Kouga gaped at Kagome.  
  
"I'm sorry! I did it to save your life!" Kagome cried. "I didn't know what I was letting myself in for!"  
  
"Obviously!" Sango nodded fervently. "It's not a legal deal if she doesn't know the full details!"  
  
"I told her every detail!" Naraku stormed towards the two girls. "She chose to hear them her own way! Now get out of the way." His hand connected with Sango's cheek, slapping her out of the way and moving on to grab Kagome by the neck and lift her into the air. "Now give me the Shikon!"  
  
"Let... me go!" Kagome gasped as his grip tightened.  
  
"Don't you dare touch Sango, you asshole!" Miroku lurched forward and swung a fist against Naraku's side. Surprisingly it made the spirit stagger slightly but he quickly recovered. Miroku didn't give up. He grabbed a small table and threw it against Naraku's back. "Let her go NOW!"  
  
"Be quiet!" Naraku roared, throwing Miroku across the room.  
  
Spots began to dance before Kagome's eyes. If she didn't give him the Shikon then she would die... then her soul would belong to Naraku for ever, into the afterlife and into hell with him. But then again... if she gave him the Shikon then her soul would still be his property until Inuyasha died.  
  
Inuyasha... was he just going to stand by and do nothing? She couldn't see him... but she had a horrible feeling he was just standing back and watching her be strangled by Naraku.  
  
"You're mine, Baby... you'll always be mine..." Naraku told her softly as Kagome began to feel numb.  
  
But then the pressure went away and she felt herself falling. All she saw was a flashing arc of light and then everything momentarily went dark for a few seconds. When her sight began to return... all she saw left of Naraku was his shredded Baboon pelt floating to the floor on top of a pile of ashes.  
  
She massaged her throat as she recovered, before searching for who had saved her.  
  
Inuyasha stood a short distance away, having just made the swing with Tessaiga. He didn't look happy, or relieved, or even that angry.  
  
Kagome looked at the pile of ashes and then back at Inuyasha. "What did you do...?"  
  
"You can't owe dead people anything." He said simply before turning away and forgetting her. "You came to claim my throne, Sesshomaru - you'll have to fight father's sword for it!"  
  
"And I thought you were going to make this a challenge." Sesshomaru drew his own sword.  
  
Kagome meanwhile was hesitantly touching Naraku's remains. Was it true? Was he really dead...? Was she free? Was she cured? Could she lived her own life again?  
  
By all accounts... yes.  
  
So why didn't she feel so happy?  
  
"Kagome...!" Sango reached her side and crouched down. Kagome saw the horrible bruise on her cheek and felt a strong pang of guilt.  
  
"Oh Sango - I'm so sorry - I'm really sorry." She hugged the older girl without warning. "Please... don't hate me... I didn't want any of this to happen - I never betrayed anyone - I fed Sesshomaru the wrong information - he's lying."  
  
"In understand..."  
  
"How could you forgive me... after all I've done to you all?" Kagome cried softly into her shoulder.  
  
"You didn't do anything wrong, Kagome." Miroku crouched beside her, ignoring the pre-battle jibes that Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were exchanging behind them. "I can see that... life has just been dealing you hard hands recently, I'm amazed you've managed to get this far without anyone's death on your hands."  
  
"Oh thanks..." it wasn't a greatly comforting condolence, but it helped a little. At least Miroku didn't hate her either.  
  
"Is she alright?" Lady Inu hurried to their side, holding Fushi in her arms. "Is that monster gone yet? Inuyasha killed him, didn't he?"  
  
"He's gone..." Sango nodded, still holding Kagome tightly. "It'll be ok Kagome... it's over... you're free..."  
  
"Unless there's more deals you haven't told us about yet?" Miroku hazarded a guess.  
  
"No - I swear! I'm not hiding anything else!" Kagome sat up quickly, hoping he would see her honesty and the truth.  
  
Lady Inu shook her head... she'd lost the plot some time ago. "I can't follow this at all... no one tells me anything these days! Sango - did you know Kagome was a peasant?"  
  
"I had a vague idea..." Sango said sheepishly. "Sorry, Kagome, but your manners aren't quite lady-like."  
  
"Oh I knew!" Miroku said quickly, pleased to be ahead of the crowd on this one. "The minute she walked into that bar I knew she was just a farmer's daughter."  
  
Across the room, Inuyasha and Sesshomaru were still sizing each other up, the older brother more confidently perhaps. "So, Inuyasha... tell me what it's like to be betrayed by the woman you love again...?"  
  
"Shut up!" Inuyasha barked at him.  
  
"Is it just me, or does every woman you meet seem to leave you in some form or other. Or at least betray you." Sesshomaru smirked.  
  
That barb stung. Mostly because Inuyasha felt it was undoubtedly true...  
  
"You'll pay for-"  
  
Before Inuyasha could complete his sentence the doors burst open and more soldiers arrived... even more than before. And they all belonged to Sesshomaru.  
  
"Shit..." Miroku muttered as he saw the cavalry enter.  
  
Things weren't looking good at all.  
  
Kouga clenched his fists and beckoned his men forward. "They won't hurt Kagome!" he started towards the newly arrived men, even though he and his companions were sorely out-numbered.  
  
"Kouga, you fucking keep out of this!" Inuyasha bit out angrily.  
  
"This isn't just about you - Kagome is in this matter too!" Kouga snapped back.  
  
"Kagome doesn't account for anything!" Inuyasha snapped back harshly, his anger elating to new levels. "Kagome doesn't mean a fucking thing - nothing matters!"  
  
Without warning Inuyasha swung the sword with a cry of effort, slashing it towards Sesshomaru who stood close to the throne. Just like what had happened at the battle, several bright arcs lit in Tessaiga's path before bursting into a razor edged wind a fraction of a second later. Sesshomaru was smart and quick enough to move out of the way... however the throne and the bay windows weren't so lucky.  
  
Everyone watched in complete shock as the winds created by the blade tore the throne apart and shattered the glass of the bay windows... also taking half that side of the room with it all.  
  
Dust and wooden timber clattered down from the roof, causing Kouga and his men to dodge out of the way. The outside wall crumbled and fell outwards and out of sight into dawning early rays of morning.  
  
Sesshomaru was, for once, lost of words. As was every one else pretty much. Kagome couldn't swallow past the lump in her throat. She was less concerned over what she'd just seen... but more over what she'd just heard. She didn't matter to him? Is that what he thought now? He hated her...  
  
Inuyasha ignored the mass amounts of dust and plaster that had coated his hair and shoulders and swung to blade to point at Sesshomaru's men behind him. "Leave now or I'll kill them all, I swear I will!"  
  
Sesshomaru didn't doubt it for one moment. But he was still reluctant to pull out now... not when he stood this close to his born title of King.  
  
"Or..." Inuyasha swung the blade to aim at Sesshomaru. "Do you want to take their place?"  
  
"Right, we're going." Sesshomaru said flippantly. There was no reason in staying. Not now that Inuyasha had mastered such a powerful weapon. Not even a whole army would stand up to Inuyasha now...  
  
He'd just have to make do with the Northern territory for now... and maybe plot ways to steal Tessaiga...?  
  
Inuyasha waited until Sesshomaru and his men had filed out of the throne room in an orderly fashion before moving to sheath Tessaiga again. There was barely a moments breathing space before Kouga turned on him.  
  
"You got a lot of nerve dog-turd!" He berated the young King. "How dare you call Kagome 'nothing'?!"  
  
"Inuyasha!" His mother shrieked. "Look what you've done to the place! Do you know how much this will take to repair?! We're not made of money or time you know?!"  
  
"Inuyasha." Miroku moved over to him. "I know, now may not seem like the appropriate time but could you please help me and Sango out on this little problem we have-"  
  
"Hey - butt out!" Kouga confronted Miroku. "I was talking to him!"  
  
"Inuyasha - you better have a damned good explanation for this mess!" Lady Inu ranted. "I can't believe you... destroy the throne and half the room just to prove a point! That throne was your fathers! It's irreplaceable."  
  
The noise volume was growing as people began to talk away, mostly at Inuyasha or bickering with each other.  
  
There was only one more thing that would make the situation perfect... Ah... there it was! Fushi began to cry - no - BAWL at the top of his lungs, raising the volume to ear-splitting levels.  
  
"Oh - now look - you've made Fushi cry!" Sango growled angrily.  
  
"Irreplaceable!" His mother continued to rant.  
  
All the while Inuyasha calmly turned his attention to the cuff braces on his wrists and started to unhook them and untie the leather straps. He undid one and let it clap to the cluttered, dusty floor. Silence rang out in its wake as everyone stared at his actions. He ignored them and continued to undo the second brace.  
  
That fell shortly to the floor after the second. Only then did he look up and shrug. "Fine, whatever. If you have a problem to have the king deal with then tell the next bozo who picks up the cuffs. I'm outta here."  
  
"What - where are you going?!" Lady Inu spluttered, quickly handing a whimpering baby back to his mother.  
  
"Away."  
  
"Where?!" she demanded again.  
  
He didn't answer as he stormed out the doors, but the implication was pretty obvious. Inuyasha was leaving... leaving the island and leaving the throne. He was abdicating.  
  
"Inuyasha..." Sango whispered, not quite believing the way he was acting.  
  
They all stood in silence, wondering what could possibly have been the last straw on the camels back in this case, when Kagome suddenly pushed herself to her feet and took off unsteadily after Inuyasha.  
  
"Good luck." Miroku commented. Though he doubted Kagome, of all the people in the world, would help matters right then...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: Next Chapter - 'The Getaway'. Probably the last chapter ~_~ 


	26. The Getaway

AN: As much as I would love to write twenty odd more chapters for this fic - I really can't! There comes a point when you drag a story out too far and the plot becomes contrived and repetitive.  
  
If you think about it, there are 26 chapters to this story, each of a length of twelve pages (some seventeen pages long), roughly (in Microsoft Word). So over the past 2 months I've written what could be considered a decent sized novel! (just over 300 pages long) I'd love to continue the story and make it last longer... but I seriously can't. Well, all good things come to an end eventually. I'll just have to get to work thinking up an even better story ^_^  
  
(Wish I was Ookami-chan... then I could make a story last so much longer...)  
  
Anyway, some of you may or may not like the outcome of this chapter... but don't worry, I have an epilogue in mind.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
The Getaway  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"This is unbelievable..." Lady Inu shook her head at the mess in the throne room and planted her fists on her hips. "Absolutely ridiculous..."  
  
"Oh look - found a piece of Naraku!" Miroku picked up a severed hand from the rubble around his feet.  
  
"Ew - Miroku - put that down!" Sango freaked out.  
  
Miroku shrugged and dropped it back onto the remains of dust and shredded Baboon pelt. He then moved to pick up the cuffs Inuyasha had dropped.  
  
"Don't touch those!" Lady Inu suddenly jumped. "Pick those up and you become the new King!"  
  
Miroku hesitated, though he still looked like he was about to pick them up. Sango rolled her eyes. "You want to have a mental break down like Inuyasha as well."  
  
"Mm..." Was all Miroku said to that as he straightened and started sifting through the clutter for other objects that might still be in tact.  
  
"Ok... here's what we do." Lady Inu took charge at once. "Sango - you go down to the dungeons and release Urami - make sure she leaves this palace. By the end of the day I want NO spies in this palace whatsoever. Miroku - you go get that sage woman from the village three miles down the south east road. She'll be able to help flush out the spies as well. Kouga?"  
  
"Yeah?" Kouga turned grumpily to Lady Inu.  
  
"You can go now, we don't need your service any more thank you." She told him primly. "And I'm sure you're aware now that Kagome has no intention of going home with you. She shall remain here."  
  
Kouga scoffed slightly. "You're willing to keep her here? She's not even a noble lady! She lied to you!"  
  
"Wow... you seem to have a high opinion of her..." Sango muttered darkly.  
  
"A white lie I am sure." Lady Inu said sharply. "Please leave at once."  
  
Kouga shrugged. "Whatever, I was gonna leave anyway. There's nothing much here now that I see it. No point conquering it."  
  
"And Kagome - you go convince Inuyasha to stay." Lady Inu turned. "Hang on... where did she go?"  
  
"She's five steps ahead of you, Lady Inu." Sango told Lady Inu as she hefted Fushi against her shoulder and headed off with Miroku to go and carry out her orders.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Inuyasha - Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as she ran down the steps of the palace, picking up her skirts so she didn't trip over. She spotted Inuyasha at once in the stables, leading a bay horse out of the sheltered pen to start readying it for riding. "Inuyasha - wait!"  
  
"Piss of Kagome!" he yelled back without looking in her direction.  
  
Kagome decided to ignore the warning in his voice and ran after him, towards the stables. She arrived behind him and waited for him to turn and acknowledge her.  
  
He didn't do anything of the sort. He simply carried on gearing up the horse and attaching a halter and reins. Kagome had to move out of his way as he moved backwards and forwards to do the job. After a moment, she realised if she did nothing he would simply mount the horse and leave.  
  
"Inuyasha... please stay and listen - you're being irrational!" she tried, following him as he moved back and forth. He wouldn't keep still and she couldn't block his path, he would just push her out the way. "You have to listen to me!"  
  
"You've had a month to have me listen to you. You've had all the time in the world to explain to me. But you've just chosen to lie to me and betray me again and again." Inuyasha told her curtly as he grabbed a saddle from a post and carried it across to the horse. "You've had your chance, I'm not listening anymore to your pathetic little lies to get yourself out of trouble."  
  
"Inuyasha... please..." Kagome was struggling to breathe properly. "Don't do this - don't just leave us all in the dust because of me!"  
  
"Why does it always have to be about you?!" Inuyasha snapped. "I'm leaving for reasons other than you, ya know! My world doesn't revolve around you - believe it or not you don't matter THAT much!"  
  
"Ow!" Kagome stared at him in shock. "That's a little harsh."  
  
"Oh, of course. How could I have been so inconsiderate?" Inuyasha replied sarcastically.  
  
"You may hate me - but I love you! You know that right?!" Kagome tried to block his way so he couldn't gear the horse, trying to make eye contact with him. "My answer is yes! I want to marry you... anything... I want to be with you... please..."  
  
He paused a moment, though his expression didn't change and he refused to look at her, instead staring at the saddle in his hand. "That's too bad. I'm not asking anymore."  
  
"But you said all those things - how can you take them back?!"  
  
"Surprisingly easily, actually." He forcibly pushed her out of the way, but even Kagome noted the way he was hesitant to touch her. "It was a momentary lapse of reason. Nothing more."  
  
"Fine... be that way." Kagome folded her arms as she watched him work. "I don't care if you hate me right now - but I want you to know the truth."  
  
He didn't say anything, he just ignored her. Kagome found the opportunity easy to go on. "I didn't seek out Naraku to make that deal. I didn't realise what I'd let myself into when I agreed to let him revive Kouga. I thought I was doing a decent thing! Besides - no one was at risk of getting hurt - only myself."  
  
"Am I supposed to think you as selfless now?" Inuyasha asked scathingly.  
  
"No... it was a selfish thing to do. I didn't want to be alone so I made a compromise so that Kouga could keep me company. You had no idea what it's like... my family had disowned me, they hated me as much as you hate me now and then Kouga abandoned me to come fight you - of which I knew nothing of!"  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes as he moved around to the other side of the horse to secure the saddle on that side. Kagome followed him. "When I discovered my soul was in danger I set about searching for the Shikon no Tama so I could hide from Naraku - I was following Kikyo's trail in order to find it. Then I heard a rumour that an Inu lord had the Shikon jewel in his possession... and then Naraku came to me and told me to go and kill you in order to get my soul back. I put two and two together and assumed YOU were the one with the Shikon no Tama... I came here to find you... but I only came for the Shikon, I didn't come for you."  
  
"Is that supposed to make it all better?" he snapped. "You still betrayed me!"  
  
"I lied - I had to! All I had heard about you were nasty rumours! That you were just as evil and mean as Sesshomaru - I thought if I told you then you'd kill me!"  
  
"Of course I would have killed you!"  
  
"So sorry for keeping quiet about it!" Kagome argued. "I'm not dumb enough to tell you about my deal - I barely knew you! But when I arrived I bumped into Sesshomaru and he poisoned me - he said to get the cure I had to-"  
  
"I know that part." Inuyasha interrupted abruptly.  
  
"Well... I didn't know you yet and I thought maybe I could do that for Sesshomaru. I had no intention of harming you... but when I got to know you, I decided I couldn't betray you like that, that I wouldn't tell Sesshomaru about the new moon."  
  
"So you told him anyway!"  
  
"I didn't! The spy approached me and I told him it was the full moon!" Kagome argued. "I'm sorry - all I wanted was a cure to save my life, but I didn't want to compromise you! I thought that was the best thing to do!"  
  
"If that's true then how come he attacked on the new moon?!"  
  
"Because he thought you were out of the country!" Kagome yelled back. "That's why he attacked! And if you hadn't left he would have waited until the next full moon in order to attack!"  
  
"You spin lies as well as Naraku." Inuyasha told her quietly and turned away from her to continue gearing the horse.  
  
"Stop saying things like that!" Kagome grabbed his ear and pulled him back around. "And don't turn your back on me!"  
  
"Good point - you may just stab it!" He slapped her hand away angrily and continued his work.  
  
"Look at me!" Kagome slipped in between him and the horse, taking Inuyasha by surprise, and for the first time since their talk in the closet, he looked her dead in the eyes.  
  
And now she knew why he didn't want to look her in the eyes... and it made her heart break. It wasn't fair how women always seemed to talk about having heart break worse than men... Inuyasha was suffering just as badly. She could see the pain clearly in his expression now that he looked at her. He couldn't hide it as well as they all thought... Remorse and guilt pricked Kagome's conscious. "Oh... Inuyasha..."  
  
He snapped his eyes to the side, away from her gaze and pushed her out of his way to continue. Kagome staggered slightly, but refused to leave. "You're hurting... I'm sorry..."  
  
"I'm not hurting." He snapped. "I'm not weak."  
  
"I promise... what I've told you is the truth and nothing but the truth and there's nothing more I can tell you that can convince you that I did what I thought was right!" Kagome wanted to slap herself for making this painful for him... but it was in no way her fault. "I made ONE mistake in believing Naraku when he told me I'd be in control of my soul - but everything after that was out of my control! I didn't ask to be poisoned! I didn't ask it for you to be the one with the Shikon! I didn't ask to fall in love with you! I can't turn my emotions off like you think you can do! I just had to go with the flow and hope it turned out all right... It's lucky I didn't get anyone killed."  
  
"You got Naraku killed." Inuyasha pointed out.  
  
"Yeah... but you killed him." Kagome said quietly. "You saved my life... and my soul... I can't repay you for that."  
  
She thought about that for a moment.  
  
"But maybe I could... if you'd let me I'd try and make you the happiest man on this land."  
  
He snorted. "The only way you can make me happy is by staying away from me! I killed him to pay respect for Kikyo's death!"  
  
"So it had nothing to do with the fact he was strangling me?!"  
  
"I wouldn't have cared any more or less!"  
  
Kagome knew that wasn't true. She'd seen it in his eyes that he was hurt because of her new 'betrayal'. She had to make him see that he could trust her... "I swear Inuyasha... I have nothing to lie about or hide from you now... it's over... please... just let it go."  
  
"It's not that easy." He snapped. "I can't just forgive and forget like before."  
  
"Why not?!" Kagome burst out.  
  
He turned to her with a serious look, raising his fist slightly to her eye level. "If I hit you would you forgive me?"  
  
Kagome blinked at him, suddenly very worried. "Maybe..."  
  
"And if I hit you twice would you forgive me again?"  
  
Kagome saw what he meant. In effect, it was like she'd hit HIM twice with her betrayal. She quickly nodded. "Yes, I'd forgive you. Completely!"  
  
"You're smarter than that. If I hit you twice you would NEVER forgive me. You wouldn't stick around to see if I'd do it a third time."  
  
"Maybe I would if I loved you."  
  
"No you wouldn't."  
  
He was right actually... one of Kagome's sisters had once got involved with a woman beater. He'd hit her once... apologised, done it again, apologised... and then beaten her up... and still Kagome's sister had forgiven him because she said she'd been in love.  
  
Now Kagome's sister was dead and Kagome had taught herself to beware of the men who beat their wives. If Inuyasha hit her she'd be out the door so fast he'd still be finishing throwing that same punch when she slammed it close.  
  
Inuyasha wasn't stupid either... he wasn't going to stick around to wait for her to try and betray him a third time.  
  
"No... I wouldn't forgive you..." Kagome answered truthfully, in a small voice.  
  
"Then you understand why I have to leave." He dropped his fist and began to mount his horse.  
  
  
  
  
  
~_~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sango dropped a sleeping Fushi off in her rooms before heading down to the dungeons to fetch Urami out of her cell. She waved at the guard as she went down the stone steps to let her pass. She went right to the cell door and slipped back the iron bolt to open the door.  
  
"Nice to see you've stopped crying - you're free to go~OH MY GOD!" Sango screamed and threw herself out of the cell and against the wall opposite. The guards instantly ran to aid her.  
  
"What is it?!" they demanded.  
  
"She's - uh - not got a head anymore..." Sango cringed. "Oh god... that's... urgh... god..."  
  
The guards went in to examine what was left of Urami. One nodded to the other in confirmation. "Northern blade's work."  
  
"Dead spies tell no tales." The other agreed.  
  
Sango peered after them. "She's dead right?"  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Wait!" Kagome grabbed Inuyasha's jacket to keep him from getting on. "You can't go yet!"  
  
"And why not?" he growled.  
  
"Because... uh..." Kagome searched for a new excuse. "Do you plan to look like a king for the rest of your life? Those clothes aren't really fitting considering you're not King anymore."  
  
He glared at her for a moment before shrugging out of his jacket and dumping it on the floor beside her. He also unsnapped his money pouch from his waist sash and tossed it to her. "Déjà vu?"  
  
"Yeah..." she weighed the money in her hand, feeling slightly sick. "Inuyasha... please don't leave them... don't leave me. But the others - your friends - they did nothing to deserve this! Don't abandon them!"  
  
"I'm not abandoning them!" he pulled himself up onto his horse. "They have each other!"  
  
"Well I don't have anyone - are you just going to abandon me?!"  
  
"That's the plan!"  
  
"You're just being spiteful and petty and doing this in a fit of anger!" she snapped, starting to walk alongside the horse that he'd set into motion. "You're running away like a coward! Things get tough for you and you freak out and make a getaway! Well I have news for you - things got tough for me back there and I stuck with it and tried to do the right thing! I didn't abandon my obligation!"  
  
"Did you even have one?!" he shouted down at her.  
  
"To protect you! I could have killed you or let someone kill you in oh so many different ways but I made sure that you were safe!"  
  
"Yeah right!"  
  
"I respect you Inuyasha... but if you runaway now I'll lose that respect!" she told him firmly. "You'll just prove you're more coward than me!"  
  
"No one could be more coward than you!"  
  
Kagome growled in frustration and moved to block the horse he was riding before he could leave the stable grounds. But this wasn't the gelding like last time, and the horse didn't stop for her. It just walked straight into her and knocked her to the side, out of it's way.  
  
Kagome staggered and fell onto the soft grass beneath her. Inuyasha paused a moment, looking slightly worried. "You ok?"  
  
"Stupid question." She stood up and retaliated angrily. Quite simply, she jerked the strap under the horses flank to loosen the saddle. Inuyasha's weight was a little too much to hold on an unstable saddle and he promptly slipped off the horse sideways with a curse.  
  
"You ok?" Kagome asked sarcastically.  
  
"Bitch! You did that deliberately!"  
  
"What made you think that?" Kagome walked around the horse to help him up. "Now will you please stop a moment and listen?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Stay Inuyasha. Stay and I will show you that you can trust me - I promise!" she told him, but he ignored her offered hand and stood up on his own.  
  
"I don't want to stay with you. I want to go and I want it to be the end of the matter." He said jerkily.  
  
"But why won't you give me a second chance?!" she demanded.  
  
"Because you'll do a Kikyo on me!" he snapped back, locking heated gazes with her again. "All women are the same - they all have ulterior motives and secret plans! They never really say what they mean and they always betray you in the end!"  
  
"I won't do that! And what the hell is a Kikyo?"  
  
"You'll sacrifice me for your own ideals and beliefs." He feigned sudden surprise. "Oh wait - you've already done that!"  
  
"No - I never did that!" She snapped. "And not all women are treacherous snakes like you'd believe!"  
  
"Oh yes they are!"  
  
"No they're not!"  
  
"They have to be!"  
  
"Why?!"  
  
"Because if I'm wrong then girls don't betray all men they just betray me!" he yelled, voicing his own fear that he'd been keeping to himself for a long time.  
  
Kagome felt her argument leave her voice and she fell quiet. After a moment Inuyasha turned away and picked up the saddle to sit it back on top of horse.  
  
Seeing that she was having absolutely no effect on his decision she began to panic and get desperate. She lurched forward and grabbed his shoulder to keep him from placing the saddle back on the horse. "No - don't do this - don't go!"  
  
"Let me go, Kagome!" he tried to shrug her off and get on with the task.  
  
Kagome refused to obey and tugged harder, even getting him to half turn towards her. "Why do you have to leave? It should be me! I'm the one who's caused all this mess - I should be the one made to leave!"  
  
"It's my choice!" he snapped, turning to grab her wrists in an effort to keep her from tugging at him. "Just let me leave!"  
  
"No - I caused this - I should go!"  
  
"You didn't do anything Kagome, it was Naraku, Kouga and Sesshomaru. You're an innocent."  
  
Kagome's struggling ceased and she gazed at him in amazement. "Does... does this mean you believe me...?"  
  
Inuyasha jerked back suddenly, realising that the longer he stayed the softer he was going to get until he would soon be unable to leave. He had to go. Now.  
  
"This means nothing." He threw back at her and let go of her wrists in favour of getting the saddle back on. He hadn't moved much further when Kagome grabbed his shirt and pulled him back around to face her.  
  
Inuyasha flinched slightly at how close she was standing to him, wanting to step back, but the horse blocked his escape. Kagome was looking at him with an odd express again as she gripped his shirt tighter and leaned up on tiptoe so she was almost nose to nose with him.  
  
She was getting bad ideas... and Inuyasha didn't like that. He tried to step back after all and backed into the horse, which didn't budge. Kagome frowned at his action and looked slightly hurt, but then more determined than ever. "Why do you have to runaway from me?"  
  
Inuyasha was about to answer when Kagome's hands touched his cheeks and he was forcibly pulled down to meet her lips. Inuyasha froze... and Kagome wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. Well, at least he wasn't pushing her away. She knew he would push her away if he wanted to... he was strong enough to do so after all.  
  
For a moment all they did was stand there, touching lips, until Kagome was about to pull away. Although, seconds before she did just that, the saddle slipped from Inuyasha's weak grip and hit the ground with a thud. She felt his hesitant hand touch her shoulder slightly and he lifted his chin slightly to move his lips more fully against hers.  
  
Kagome almost sighed with relief. This was the complete opposite of pushing her away... maybe now he was going to forgive her?  
  
He held her lips like that for a while until they both eventually, if not slowly, parted. Inuyasha blinked rapidly as if he'd only just woken up while Kagome watched him intensely for a new reaction. She waited for a smile.  
  
But it never came.  
  
"Nice try." He said shortly before turning away to pick up the saddle again.  
  
Kagome gasped in outrage. That had been the sweetest most honest kiss that she'd given anyone! How dare he just shrug it off?!  
  
"That's it! I've had it with your attitude!" she grabbed the saddle. "Gimme that!"  
  
"Get off, bitch!"  
  
"YOU get off!" she threw back and struggled with a tug of war over the equipment, while the horse edged away from the struggle slightly. "I am not letting you throw away your family and your friends and your heritage just because of this little tiff!"  
  
"This is not a little tiff!" he shouted back. "I'll never forgive you!".  
  
Kagome sharply let go of the saddle and watched him evenly as he suddenly fell over backwards due to the momentum. "Oops." She said, rather insincerely.  
  
"Bitch!" he threw the saddle off his chest.  
  
"Call me that one more time, Inuyasha, and I will make you eat worms again!"  
  
"As if!" he snorted and began to get up. "A bitch like you couldn't-"  
  
He didn't get a chance to finish that sentence as Kagome suddenly launched herself on top of him and pushed his head back against the ground. She scraped a fist full of grass and dirt from beside his head and smudged it over his cheek and stuffed the grass in his mouth.  
  
He spluttered angrily as he spat out the grass and quickly turned the tables on her, flipping them over with his superior strength. Kagome was getting a strange feeling of déjà vu again...  
  
"Let's see how you like it!" he grabbed a fist of dirt and smeared it over her face in retaliation.  
  
Kagome tried to knee him in the family jewels like last time, but he seemed to have remembered that trick and pinned her legs down with his own.  
  
"Get off me you big bully!" she yelled. "I swear I'll scream rape!"  
  
"Just you try it!" he wrestled to keep her hands from pulling his hair.  
  
"RAPE!" Kagome screamed at the top of her lungs. Inuyasha quickly covered her mouth with his hand, looking slightly surprised. Kagome took the opportunity to flick his ears hard and tug his hair in quick succession. She laughed as he quickly moved his hands back to her wrists to keep her from pulling his hair again, but this only freed her mouth again. "Wrong move! RA-"  
  
Inuyasha was out of appendages to shut her up with and so had to swallow the rest of her scream with his mouth. The surprise alone was enough to quiet her down. He knew he shouldn't be doing this... the closer he got to her the more reluctant he became to leave. But in a way he couldn't help it, he wanted to kiss Kagome...  
  
He couldn't help but feel it was about damn time...  
  
Kagome began to shake beneath him and he felt warm moisture dampen her cheeks. He pulled back at once when he realised she was beginning to cry... uh... he hadn't meant to do that. "Kagome..."  
  
"You won't change you're mind... will you?" she said in a strained voice, thick with tears.  
  
He shook his head slightly.  
  
She closed her eyes as in despair, starting to sit up, forcing Inuyasha to get off her. "I knew it... I knew I'd gone too far... you'll go and I'll miss you so much... I'll go crazy with loneliness..."  
  
He watched her as she continued to cry, a little more hysterically than before. "You saved my life - no - my soul!... There's no way to repay that..."  
  
"Well now we're even." Inuyasha said flatly. "If it had been anyone else in your place... if Naraku had chosen some other girl... I know I would be dead by now..."  
  
Kagome's sobs subdued slightly and she swiped away her tears to see him properly. "That's really nice of you considering..."  
  
"I'm still leaving though." He started to stand but Kagome quickly stood with him and grabbed his sleeve.  
  
"I promise I'll try to be better..." she told him, feeling like a child telling her mother she'd be good from then on.  
  
"I don't feel I know you anymore. What I think of you... it's all based on a lie isn't it?" he watched her carefully.  
  
"No! I never had to pretend about my feelings or who I was! What you see is what I am! I love you - I always did..."  
  
"How do I know you aren't lying right now?" he pointed out.  
  
"Why would I?" Kagome frowned at him. "I've nothing left to hide from you... you know who I am... what I did... you MUST know how sorry I am... for what I did..." she was rambling... but she was desperate, and she just couldn't find the words to express how she felt. "I don't know how to convince you that I'm telling the truth... I just am... you'll have to trust me on that."  
  
Inuyasha paused for a long time before speaking. "I can't Kagome..."  
  
There was only a certain amount of times a heart could break... and it had broken twice for Kagome already. He didn't want to break it a third time... he didn't think he could summon enough strength to love her again.  
  
But inside he knew he did... he'd never lost the love for her...  
  
He suddenly stepped forward and pulled her into a tight embrace, one which she reciprocated instantly with silent tears that wracked her small frame. "I can't trust you..." he repeated, stroking her hair idly before closing his eyes and tightening his grip.  
  
"But I'll stay and learn to..."  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: That's the end? Hm... not quite, I still have an epilogue in mind but that may take some time to write. Anyway, for now, that'll be the end ^_^ 


	27. Epilogue A Wedding

AN: here's the epilogue I sorta promised - to tie off those loose ends you all wanted to know about. Last chapter!!!! Longer than the average chapter to make up for the time it took to write ^_^;; Sorry about that ^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Soul Exchange  
  
Epilogue  
  
A Wedding  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"I look stupid..."  
  
"You look fine."  
  
"I look like a twat."  
  
"No, you look like a King." Inuyasha's mother admonished. "Though that doesn't make you any less of a t-"  
  
"Mom!" Inuyasha stared at her in shock.  
  
"Temperamental, neurotic head case." His mother finished with a placid smile. She stepped back and looked him up and down critically. "Hm... well... it's the best I can do..."  
  
"Thank god I only have to wear this once." Inuyasha tugged at his collar.  
  
Lady Inu smacked his hand away. "Stop it, you'll mess it up again." She brushed down his formal jacket before moving her hands up to tug at his face.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Where on earth did you get those awful bags?" Lady Inu peered at him. Actually, standing back and looking at him she could see that Inuyasha didn't look at all that well and healthy as he usually did. If the bags under his eyes were any indication, he hadn't been getting enough sleep lately. He was literally swaying slightly as he stood before her, eyes half closed and an unfocused gaze trained on the floor behind her.  
  
Inuyasha was about to answer her question when a yawn interrupted him and he lifted a hand to stifle it.  
  
"You better not do that during the wedding." His mother told him sternly. "That'll look good won't it - halfway through saying the vows and you break off to yawn. As if you wouldn't look bored enough already."  
  
"I'm not bored..." he rubbed his right eye. "Just tired..."  
  
"And why would that be? What have you been doing all night?" she demanded. "What's your problem? There's nothing to stress over anymore - Sesshomaru is holding off for the time being, Naraku is now a scattering of fertiliser dust on my tulips and Kouga got bored and wondered off to god knows where - hopefully off a cliff."  
  
Inuyasha stifled another yawn.  
  
"Knowing you, you've probably scraped the bottom of the barrel to find something trivial to worry over." She rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "You haven't been worrying about the wedding have you?"  
  
Inuyasha scrunched his face up to show what he thought of that idea. "Like hell."  
  
"Now there's something new. I thought you were against the whole idea of a wedding at first." His mother started plucking at his hair, trying to set it straight.  
  
"Well I changed my mind. It won't be as bad as I thought..." he shrugged, pushing his mother's hands away irritably. He looked down at himself. "Hell... everyone's gonna be staring at me..."  
  
"No - everyone's going to be watching our little bride." Lady Inu beamed. "She'll be the more beautiful one there."  
  
"I guess..." Inuyasha grumbled.  
  
His mother rolled her eyes. "Oh don't look too depressed." She told him flatly. "It's not the end of the world!"  
  
"I guess..."  
  
She rolled her eyes again at his obvious boredom. She sighed and turned towards the door to leave. "I better go see how our little bride is doing."  
  
"I guess..." Inuyasha yawned as she walked out and slumped back onto his bed. Ok... maybe he could get a bit of shut eye before the ceremony...  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"Up or down?" Kagome queried Sango who stood over her as she pushed her hair into various styles. "What do you think?"  
  
"Up, of course." Sango told her around the pins she held between her lips. "Now would you keep still, this is easier to do on Kiroi..."  
  
"Sorry..." Kagome muttered and tried to stop fidgeting as Sango carried on manipulating her hair. But she couldn't contain it for long before she broke out into a happy squeal. "I can't believe it! I'm so excited! I don't think I've ever been so happy in my life!"  
  
"Really?" Sango smiled at her enthusiasm.  
  
"Aren't you happy?!" Kagome tried to turn and see her but Sango pushed her firmly back into an upright sitting position, facing the wall.  
  
"Of course I'm happy..." Sango shrugged. "It's just I guess it was inevitable. It's not such a surprise for me."  
  
"Inevitable?" Kagome echoed and smiled when she heard Sango laugh.  
  
The door slid open and Lady Inu entered with an ill concealed grin. "So... how's my bride?"  
  
Sango looked up smiled back. "She's great!"  
  
"And so excited." Kagome nudged Sango.  
  
"You go get ready Sango, I'll finish off with Kagome." Lady Inu waved the girl off.  
  
"Ok then, see you at the ceremony, Kagome." Sango patted her shoulder and walked off, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Have you seen Inuyasha yet?" Kagome asked as Lady Inu took over Sango's work on her hair.  
  
"Yes." Lady Inu said lightly.  
  
"And...?" Kagome pressed for more details than just a one word answer.  
  
"He's fine."  
  
"Ok..." Kagome frowned slightly and looked down into her lap.  
  
After a moment's quiet Lady Inu sighed. "He's tired, Kagome. I don't think he's been getting enough sleep recently. You wouldn't have anything to do with that would you...?"  
  
"Unfortunately... no..." Kagome blushed slightly. "Why do you think he hasn't been sleeping?"  
  
"I don't know... worrying about some trivial dribble I suppose..." Lady Inu snagged a knot in Kagome's hair, making her hiss in pain. "Sorry! Anyway... I think all he needs is a healthy dose of Kagome and he'll be ok..."  
  
"It doesn't work that way anymore." Kagome mumbled.  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?" Lady Inu paused her work.  
  
"Nothing." Kagome brightened. "So do you think Miroku will show up today?"  
  
"He might." Lady Inu laughed and stood back suddenly as she finished putting the final touches to her hair. "There you go... you look stunning!"  
  
"Thanks..." Kagome moved to touch her hair.  
  
"But don't touch it or you'll look disgusting." Lady Inu told her sharply with an affectionate smile, making Kagome drop her hand at once. "Well... you go get your clothes and I'll go make sure Sango is getting ready too..."  
  
"Ok!" Kagome said cheerfully and toddled off to find the seamstress.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"This isn't exactly what I'd call traditional, but I suppose it will do..." Miroku said, looking over the loitering guests around the repaired throne room.  
  
"Sorry we couldn't get the belly dancing elephants like you expected." Inuyasha told him dryly. "We're not humans, Miroku, we don't do weddings the usual way."  
  
"Over on the mainland only close relations attend the actual ceremony." Miroku told him as he adjusted the neckline of his black kimono slightly. "We're running short on family these days..."  
  
"Well... I got my mom..." Inuyasha stifled another yawn.  
  
"Oh that's ok then. We have your mother!" Miroku sighed, somewhat sarcastically.  
  
"Slightly touchy today aren't we?" Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at him.  
  
"I'm fine... just remember your lines and we'll all be ok." Miroku patted his shoulder and wondered off.  
  
Inuyasha sniffed slightly and walked backwards until he all but collapsed into his chair (a new throne since the old one got obliterated). He started trying to remember his vows in his head... it was so easy to forget! "Kami bless this... union... of souls... and... uh..."  
  
"My lord - we've run out of Shiitake mushrooms."  
  
"And Kami bless us with more... mushrooms..." Inuyasha skewed a glance at the approaching advisors... well this ought to be good. "What do you want now?" he demanded as they arrived before him.  
  
"We've run out of Shiitake." One the of the men gushed straight away.  
  
"Then get some more." Was the simple solution.  
  
"But there is no more-"  
  
"Then we'll do without the mushrooms." Inuyasha shrugged.  
  
"And may I also add, your highness, that the wolf leader Kouga is waiting outside to see Miss Kagome." The second advisor jumped in with the second problem. "What should we do?"  
  
"Don't do anything - don't open the gate." Inuyasha told him shortly.  
  
"But... we already let him in." the advisor winced.  
  
"Oh for crying out... ok... just distract him until the ceremony is over - I don't want him screwing this up." Inuyasha snapped. "And in future - NEVER let him in - you see him coming and you close that gate close so fast he'll be like a bug on a fly swot."  
  
"But he can just jump over it..." the third advisor pointed out. "Can't he?"  
  
Inuyasha stared at him before pulling a face. "I'm very tired... leave me alone..." that was his excuse for his slip ups, and he was sticking to it.  
  
"And there's also that problem with the financial crisis of the western towns fishing industry and-"  
  
"We're in the middle of a wedding - that can wait!" Inuyasha snapped, slapping a hand down on the arm rest beside him. "Get lost and bug me later, I'm busy."  
  
He didn't look particularly busy, sitting in his throne and staring off into space... but they decided to take his word for it and scuttled off to find out more problems to trouble the king with later on.  
  
He didn't get much of a chance to revise his lines either, as it was only a few seconds before Lady Inu entered and made a gesture for everyone to find their seats as music started playing behind Inuyasha... He groaned inwardly. The guests split themselves into two sides of the room, sitting facing each other. One side of guests acquainted with the bride, and the other with the bridegroom.  
  
Lady Inu sat herself down on the bride's side of the congregation. She darted Inuyasha a quick look before mouthing the word 'smile!' and grinning broadly to demonstrate. He returned her look with a blank one before finally pushing himself to his feet so at least he was standing before the ceremony.  
  
Any minute now... where was Kagome...?  
  
The door opened and everyone glanced over with a hushed gasp as Kagome poked her head around the door. She winced as she saw everyone staring at her. "Sorry!" she whispered.  
  
There was a collective sigh of disappointment and Inuyasha rolled his eyes as the human girl quickly closed the door behind her and hurried to join Lady Inu's side in the gathered guests. Late as usual... now where was the happy couple?  
  
They weren't kept waiting long before the doors were pulled back slowly by hand maids in pretty peach coloured kimonos. This time everyone 'aww'ed and rose to their feet in respect upon seeing Sango stood there, beaming like a mad thing, with her arm linked with Miroku's, looking very proud indeed.  
  
Lady Inu was crying already.  
  
Inuyasha couldn't help but smile slightly to see how happy Sango seemed with Miroku... no... he wasn't opposed to this wedding anymore.  
  
The music changed to a different melody and Miroku began leading Sango into the throne room, down the clear division between the guests. At once Inuyasha shifted nervously, he just knew he was going to screw up the whole thing. They hadn't been able to get a Shinto priest, in fact the only person closest to that would have been Miroku... and he wasn't technically allowed to marry himself to Sango like that.  
  
So it had been Kagome's brainy idea for Inuyasha to do the joining, seeing as he was king and all...  
  
Sango sent Lady Inu and Kagome a grin and a wave as she passed by, looking like she half wanted to stop and chatter on about the best day of her life - but Miroku wouldn't let her and kept them moving until they arrived before Inuyasha.  
  
The music stopped and Inuyasha's mind went blank. What was he supposed to do again? He darted a glance between the pair and saw them watching him with anticipation while the guests in the background continued to watch the couple.  
  
Something about... blessing, wasn't it? "Uh..." he drew himself up and gave them both a good impression of his usual smile. "By the power of Kami, may you both be blessed and..." he broke off as a yawn fought it's way to the surface. He had to raise a hand a stifle it as he heard his mother groan loudly from the audience while Sango looked like she was about to kill him with a death glare. He quickly dropped his hand and tried to look awake again.  
  
"By the power of Kami may you both be blessed." Inuyasha repeated, a little more quickly than before. "And may you both find new love, happiness and devotion towards one another as fresh as the spring season we enter. Emphasis on DEVOTION." Inuyasha shot Mir0ku a pointed look who rolled his eyes.  
  
Lady Inu shook her head and gave a small strangled sound in her throat. Kagome cocked her head with a frown before whispering. "I'm sure those aren't the traditional verses..."  
  
"Anyway - god bless ya both and may you grow old and... dandle brats on your knees and... so on so forth..." Inuyasha waved his hands in a vague manner. "Both be happy basically. Now you go." He patted Miroku on the shoulder as he stepped down from the throne and headed to stand between his mother and Kagome.  
  
"Now you go?" Miroku echoed quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. Inuyasha received a hard jab in the ribs from his mother's elbow, while Kagome clamped a hand over her mouth to keep her giggles silent.  
  
Miroku turned to take Sango's hands in his own and gazed lovingly down on her. She smiled back, squeezing his hands to encourage him. "Sango... I know in the past that my actions may have seemed without love and with desertion... but I promise to you before all these witnesses that from the minute I held you in my arms I never stopped loving you..."  
  
Kagome strained to hear what was being said, like Lady Inu. Miroku was speaking so quietly that really only the Inu Youkai could hear. But whatever he was saying, it looked like it was sweet.  
  
"From now on every step I take away from you, it will only increase my desire to be closer to you." Miroku could see Sango was finding it difficult to keep the tears at bay. "Every time I sleep I want it to be by your side, and every time I breathe I want to breathe in your warmth and purity."  
  
Inuyasha's hand went up to rub his eyes. "I think I have something in my eye."  
  
Kagome glanced up at him with a coy smile. "Aw, you big baby."  
  
"No really - it hurts!" he whispered back, his eyes watering. "I think it's an eyelash..."  
  
Miroku finished his vows to Sango, and they sealed it with a quick chaste kiss. The few Miko in red and white robes stepped forward and handed the bride and groom small dishes of sake to drink in order to bring the ceremony to a close.  
  
The serious part of the ceremony was over and the guests broke out in quiet cheerful chatter as they watched Sango delicately sip at the liquid, followed by Miroku. Inuyasha finally managed to rid himself of that pesky eyelash and looked up to see what was going on.  
  
When he felt Kagome's hand slide innocently into his own he glanced down at her in surprise. She wasn't watching him though, she was watching Miroku and Sango finish up. He quickly returned his own gaze back to the newly wed couple and tightened his grip somewhat around her hand, feeling her squeeze back.  
  
Miroku took the last ninth sip of the sake and gave the dish back to the Miko by his side. The whole room burst out into applause and Sango seemed unable to contain herself any longer as she threw her arms around Miroku's neck and hugged him tightly.  
  
Inuyasha and Kagome had to drop hands in favour of applauding along with everyone else.  
  
Suddenly a late arrival came storming through the doors, halting all applause rather quickly. "I oppose this marriage!"  
  
Everyone turned like a Mexican wave towards the doors, and Kagome couldn't help but gasp. "Kouga!"  
  
Inuyasha spun around shortly and glared heatedly at the wolf. Hadn't he told his advisors to keep that moron occupied?  
  
"Why do you oppose the marriage?" Lady Inu asked reasonably through the quiet of the room.  
  
"Kagome is MY mate - not that mongrel dog-turd's!" Kouga snapped angrily.  
  
"Careful, wolf, that's treason. You could be done in for that." Inuyasha snapped shortly, bringing Kouga's attention towards him. He then also spotted Kagome standing beside Inuyasha, looking rather surprised. He jerked his gaze to the front of the hall where Miroku and Sango stood looking mildly surprised at the interruption.  
  
Wrong wedding...! Kouga snapped his fingers in realisation before breaking out into a grin and waving as he turned back to the doors. "Never mind then! Till next time!" he mooched off happily.  
  
"I don't believe that pompous little windbag..." Kagome muttered.  
  
Well, the interruption was forgotten quickly as applause broke out again, directed at the newly weds. People moved forward to congratulate them, Lady Inu among one of the first to embrace Sango - and Miroku as her new son-in-law. Inuyasha was about to go join his mother when he noticed Kagome wasn't with him.  
  
He looked around for a moment, trying to see where she'd gone in the crowd... but she wasn't in the hall anymore. He noticed the open doors of the throne room and scowled... how much did he want to bet that she'd gone to see Kouga?  
  
Well... only one way to find out.  
  
He separated himself from the crowd and slipped out the open doors and followed his nose in the most recent path Kagome seemed to have taken. He didn't have to go far until he heard quiet, hushed tones being spoken around a corner.  
  
Inuyasha stopped out of sight and listened.  
  
"Kouga... you have to stop this..." he heard Kagome sigh with a frustrated tone.  
  
"I can't Kagome - you're mine - I found you first-"  
  
"That has nothing to do with it! Who found who first doesn't matter!" she snapped.  
  
"I have a claim on you he should respect! I won't give up on that!" Kouga persisted.  
  
"Kouga... it's like you gave up on me once, but then again, it's like you won't give up at all! I thought you'd accepted this - I'm not going home with you - my home is here now! Why can't you understand that?!"  
  
"Because you can do so much better than this guy - you can do me!"  
  
"Kouga!" Inuyasha heard Kagome stamp her foot in anguish. "Are you even listening to me! You and I are through! You left me in the lurch to go chase a war rather than stay and honour my sacrifice to save your life! I'll never forget that! Inuyasha would never do anything like that to me!"  
  
"How can you be so sure he won't?" Kouga said quietly.  
  
"Because Inuyasha is better than you and me..." Kagome answered in an equally quiet tone. "Now stop coming here - you know how antsy Inuyasha gets when you come around - and I have a hard time trying to convince him that you aren't coming for secret lover meetings with me."  
  
Kouga started in a new slick tone that had Inuyasha's hackles raising. "You know, we could always make these meetings little-"  
  
"Drop that tone this minute!" Kagome snapped at once. "Do you know how much Inuyasha hates me because of what Naraku and Sesshomaru put us through - I do NOT need you messing up my chances to mend our relationship!"  
  
"What relationship?" Kouga demanded. "So you admit there is something going on?"  
  
"I don't know!" the sound of pacing footsteps could be heard. "Right now there's nothing... not since... he won't... I mean, that is if... uh..."  
  
A few beats of silence passed before Kagome cleared her throat, obviously having been on the verge of getting emotionally. "The way I see it is that all my problems come from you Kouga - if you hadn't abandoned me then I would never have hurt Inuyasha!"  
  
"If I'd never abandoned you, you would be mated to me - not him!" Kouga retorted.  
  
"You don't know that..." Kagome sighed. "And I'm not mated to Inuyasha. But look... you and me weren't meant to be together... so I think it's best that you just go and don't come back, yeah?"  
  
There was another silent stretch before Kouga spoke. "But don't be so sure that you and Inuyasha were perfect for one another... you'll see."  
  
"Kouga, just go." Kagome responded huffily. "Before I loose my temper with you. I like you Kouga, but you make me so angry sometimes that I swear I might have to hurt you."  
  
Inuyasha heard Kouga give a very arrogant like snort. "Fine, be that way. I was only trying to give you a better life than this war zone."  
  
"This is a good life thank you very much." She snapped back. "Good food, nice sleeping arrangements, friends... I'm happy where I am. You don't need to help me."  
  
"Have it your way." Kouga's retreating footsteps could be heard. "But remember - one little mistake - one little dainty foot wrong and the bastard will throw you out of here so fast you'll get whiplash."  
  
"I know..." Kagome muttered quietly.  
  
"So you better not tell him you were talking to me just now - he might take it wrong." Kouga laughed and turned down another corridor, out of Kagome's sight and out of Inuyasha's range.  
  
He waited for a moment... waited for Kagome to walk off now that the conversation was over. But it was very quiet, and he couldn't hear any footsteps walking away. Was she still there? Or had she left without him noticing?  
  
Just to make sure and pushed away from the wall he was leaning against and stepped out into the junction of the corridors, looking down the hall which Kagome and Kouga had been conversing in. She was still there... leaning against the wall, crumpled on the floor with her hands pressed tightly to her face with her shoulders shaking silently.  
  
She was either laughing or crying... and considering the circumstances weren't so humorous, he was willing to reckon she was crying. It had the same affect on him as though his mother was crying... he felt like a monster, and that somehow it was his fault.  
  
"Kagome." He called her name and saw her jump as he startled her. She snapped her head up to see him and at once he realised he'd been right... her cheeks were wet and she look slightly red.  
  
She stared at him for a moment, trying to battle back the tears and pretend everything was alright. She didn't like to cry in front of him... the last thing she wanted was for him to see her as a mopey little cry baby. But she failed and she dropped her head back in her hands as small quiet sobs wracked her frame. "Snap..."  
  
"What?" he frowned at her in confusion.  
  
"There goes... my rubber band theory..." Kagome sniffled into her hands. "I knew it was going to good to be true..."  
  
Inuyasha still didn't seem to know what the heck she was on about, given his puzzled expression. Kagome looked back up at him and tugged her sleeves over her fists to wipe her eyes. "My theory... things were going great... you decided to stay... I found my money purse that I lost..."  
  
"You mean my money purse?"  
  
"Don't make it worse!" Kagome snapped, though her voice shook. "I found the money and then Sango and Miroku decided to get married sooner rather than later - I'm maid of honour - and SNAP! The day they marry and everything seems perfect Kouga turns up with his 'you're MY woman' routine and then you come and now you're gonna kick me out because I was talking to him... and... I should have known you didn't trust me..."  
  
"Kagome-"  
  
"That's just like you isn't it!" she suddenly jumped to her feet to point an accusing finger at him. "You were SO ready to believe I'd betray you again - SO eager to think me and Kouga had a thing!"  
  
"Kagome will you just calm down for one fucking moment?" Inuyasha snapped his fingers before her face to get her to shut up. "I don't care what you think I think, but I don't think that you're seeing Kouga behind my back."  
  
"Ya think?" Kagome carefully tried to wipe the tears from her face without smudging the make-up (a bit late for that Kagome).  
  
"It's obvious the guy bugs you..." Inuyasha cocked his head to the side. "You gonna come back to the wedding now?"  
  
"It's over isn't it?" Kagome blinked.  
  
"Well... there's still the party after to go to." Inuyasha winced slightly... he was in no mood to party considering he felt dead on his feet.  
  
Suddenly Kagome burst out crying again.  
  
"What?" Inuyasha jumped as fresh tears rolled down her face.  
  
"They're married!" Kagome said in a shrilly voice. "I'm so... *sob*... happy for them!"  
  
"If it's not one thing it's another, isn't it?" Inuyasha sighed and slipped an arm around her shoulders to pull her into his side in a comforting fashion. "Don't sweat it."  
  
"I'm not sweating anything - just crying." She sniffed.  
  
"Come on." Inuyasha started walking in the direction of the throne room again. Suddenly he stopped and looked around to make sure no one was around before leaning down and whispering in Kagome's ear. "You up for another round tonight?"  
  
Kagome pulled a reluctant frown. "I can't... I have to look after Fushi."  
  
"Why?" Inuyasha scowled.  
  
"It's Miroku and Sango's wedding night." Kagome pointed out bluntly. "They obviously don't want a baby around when they s-"  
  
"Alright, alright." Inuyasha said quickly.  
  
"Secure their marital vows. Consummate the relationship. Again. Sex each other up. Am I making you uncomfortable yet?"  
  
"Hardly." Inuyasha snorted. "Anyway - why don't you give Fushi to Mom."  
  
"That's sorta cheating on my role of trustworthy friend to Sango." Kagome said seriously. "I'm not sure Lady Inu would appreciate it either."  
  
"Oh no, she'd love it! Babies make her feel like a valued mother - something she won't get often." Inuyasha squeezed her shoulder. "Go on. Give Fushi to Mom tonight then we'll have ourselves to ourselves."  
  
"Alright." Kagome gave in with a resigned sigh. "Same time as usual?"  
  
"Hour of the tiger." He nodded.  
  
Kagome watched him. "Inuyasha, are you sure about this? You look wiped out... I think I'm wearing you out here..."  
  
"Never!" Inuyasha straightened and forced himself to look alert and awake, despite the little baggies under his eyes. "I have WAY more stamina than you."  
  
"Then how come you have garbage carts under your eyes and I haven't?" she grinned.  
  
"Because..." he fought for an excuse. "You get to sleep in on the mornings - I have to get up early. Hah!"  
  
"But still... maybe you need to take it easy tonight." Kagome raised an eyebrow as he turned away in a very poor attempt to hide a yawn.  
  
(It's funny, every time I write 'yawn' I actually yawn myself)  
  
"Nah, I'm good." He turned back and gave her an affectionate push in the direction of the throne room. "Go on, don't want to miss the party do you?"  
  
"Aren't you coming?" she asked, seeing he was making no move to follow her.  
  
"I think I'll just go... check my eyelids for holes..."  
  
"You mean, sleep?"  
  
"Yeah." He nodded and wondered off.  
  
Kagome smiled to herself and quickly trotted back in the direction of the throne room.  
  
  
  
  
  
^_^  
  
  
  
  
  
"God... I am exhausted..." Kagome muttered as she threw open the door to Inuyasha's room.  
  
Inuyasha sat up bolt upright on his bed. "I'm awake!"  
  
"Good evening, sleepy head." she smiled and closed the door a little more quietly than before. She padded over to the bed in her socks and leaned against one of the posts.  
  
"What time is it?" Inuyasha slurred, slumping slightly to rub his face.  
  
"Hour of the tiger."  
  
"Really?" Inuyasha peered at her. "I didn't plan to sleep that late..."  
  
"Don't worry about it." Kagome smiled. "The party's still going on - Fushi's being watched by your mother and Sango and Miroku snuck off a little while ago."  
  
"You sure we won't get interrupted?" Inuyasha yawned and stretched until his bones cracked. He slipped off the bed and clung to a post for support.  
  
"Not this time." Kagome looked at him with concern. "Inuyasha, I really think we should give it a rest tonight... it's killing you to stand!"  
  
"I'm fine!" he protested.  
  
He suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and marched her across the room to force her to sit down in a plain chair situated beside an old desk. "Now. Write your name in Hiragana like we practised, ok?" he pointed to the ink brush beside an ink block and pile of flat paper scrolls.  
  
"But we did that last time - I want to move onto Kanji tonight - you said we could!" Kagome protested.  
  
"But it's difficult, Kagome. You write at a seven year old level." He pointed out.  
  
"Maybe compared to you nobles!" Kagome huffed. "I know how to do katakana and hiragana - let's move on!"  
  
He sighed and gave in, really in no real state to argue with her. "Fine, do you know any kanji now?"  
  
"A little." She shrugged.  
  
Inuyasha pulled up another chair and sat down beside her. "Show me."  
  
  
  
  
  
Lots of nagging, dictating and ink fights later, Kagome sat back and picked up the scroll she'd been writing on. She absently wiped at an ink splash Inuyasha had put on her face before handing the scroll to him. "How's that?"  
  
He held the scroll up in one hand while employing the other in propping his chin up. "Beautiful characters... except it says 'The rain in autumn falls mainly on the Chinchillas'." He skewered her a glance. "Nice..."  
  
"Well what's the kanji for mountains?" she asked.  
  
Inuyasha took her brush and pulled another scroll towards him. He was about to quickly dash out the word on the paper... but his eyes wouldn't focus correctly, and he blinked for a moment, trying to set it right.  
  
Kagome darted a glance between him and the scroll before him. He didn't look too good... With a sigh she reached over and plucked the brush from his grip. "Let's leave it for tonight."  
  
"But we've barely even scratched the surface!" he protested.  
  
"That's ok - we have plenty of time to do this later." She was standing and helping him to stand up as well. "We'll squeeze some time into your busy schedule, your highness."  
  
"The only spare time I have is at night." He muttered thickly.  
  
"Yes, but that time should be taken up by catching some sleep." Kagome guided him towards the bed. "I think we should put these midnight writing lessons on hold."  
  
"Your loss." He sighed as she ushered him into the bed, holding the covers up so he could slide underneath. Once he was settled down she tucked the blankets around him flipped a few bangs of his hair aside, smiling when she saw him drifting off already.  
  
"Sweet dreams." She turned and started to head for the door - or would have if his hand hadn't snapped out to grab her by her waist sash and yank her back down onto the bed. She yelped in surprise and landed stiffly by his side, eyes wide in shock when his arm looped around her waist and dragged her precious inches closer.  
  
"I-Inuyasha?" she stammered.  
  
"You can stay here tonight." He responded without opening his eyes.  
  
"But - I have my own bed - it's ok." She rushed to say.  
  
"So?"  
  
"So..." Kagome pondered for an excuse. "I'm slightly cold here like this."  
  
Inuyasha cracked half an eye open as he proceeded to pull the blankets back to allow her to get underneath. When she didn't take the initiative to get in, he sighed and dragged her underneath and covered them both up again. "Better?"  
  
Kagome stared at him as he began to settle down to sleep again. "Aren't you worried I'll stab you in the back while you sleep?" she asked, a little pointedly.  
  
Inuyasha gave a small barely perceivable shrug. "Then I'd stab you right back, what's your point?" he pulled her closer, vaguely wishing she would just relax and warm up. "Just go to sleep, it's late.  
  
Kagome kept quiet, but didn't relax any. After a moment she twisted in an effort to see him. "Inuyasha, you-" she stopped herself short when she realised he'd slipped off into the land of nod already. She bit her lip to keep quiet and... since he wasn't awake to know... she shuffled closer and leaned her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, savouring the smell of male musk and pine forest that seemed to emanate off him.  
  
Finally, she allowed herself to relax enough to enjoy the situation. She rarely had much of a chance to be alone with Inuyasha over the past month or so. He was always busy during the day unless he actually made time to be with her... and he didn't really make the effort to do that. Instead she'd had to settle for these late sessions, in which she'd managed to talk him into teaching her how to do calligraphy.  
  
He never really let her get as close as they were now...  
  
Either he was too tired to realise... or he was beginning to forgive her. Kagome sighed deeply, feeling frustrated and angry at herself... but at the same time happy that she was getting somewhere with him.  
  
From her point of view, what she'd done had in no way been her fault. She'd done her best to protect him... but she wasn't as strong as Inuyasha... she hadn't been able to defend him and herself from such strong forces like Naraku and Sesshomaru.  
  
But from Inuyasha's point of view, what she'd done was unforgivable. In all truth, he had no reason to give her a third chance. The only thing he had to go on was her word that she hadn't meant to hurt him... and her word was only that. Just words...  
  
It was good of him to give her the chance to redeem herself... she couldn't begin to express how glad she was that he'd decided to stay. She really wasn't sure what she would have done with herself if he'd upped and left. Drown herself in the lake maybe...?  
  
But that didn't matter. He was here with her, and that was all that mattered.  
  
She smiled when she felt his arms tighten around her waist, pulling her closer and tucking her head under his chin in his sleep.  
  
He may not trust her completely yet... but she had a life time to make it up to him. That was time enough to break the ice around his heart again...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
AN: There. All done ^_^ Now remember to review and tell me what you think. 


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